Serenity
by squeekness
Summary: Gambit gets a Kingly gift he did not expect. Part 15 of the Game.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Gambit gets a Kingly gift he did not expect. Part 15 of the Game.

Rated M for profanity, violence and some sexual content.

Disclaimer : I do not own the X-men or any of their associated villains, but the Siskans, the Dognan, Jael and the Outkasts are mine. Please do not use them without my permission. Thanks. :)

Notes :Art has been posted for Transitions on my website if anyone cares to look at it.

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(One)

_I thought I was lost, but instead I was found by someone I did not expect. Kimble's Angel has rescued me and saved me from oblivion and despair. Kimble may be far from me, but his angel child will help me. She will see me though this and we will do this together. I made my pledge to her and it is one I will not fail to keep._

_Inspired now, I look back on my dreams and run through those images I have stored in my mind. Unlike humans, I can access past dreams in the form of files. This doesn't mean they are any clearer to me than when I dreamed them, but sometimes, if I can focus enough, I can pull snapshot images from those streaming movie-like torrents of information. Some things I know I must face for certain – the tarmac, my precious Angel, and someone carrying a bladed weapon. It is not enough to tell me what will happen or what I must do to fulfill my mission, I must know more. I must keep Angel safe and this I will do._

_So I do my duty as surrogate guardian angel and replay the images I do have over and over again in my mind. I have to know where to begin and so I start with the tarmac. I pull it up and review it. Now that I know where to begin, I can hopefully dig out a little more. I stand now in my Black Room, the image of the tarmac materializing before me through my oversized window. It becomes a door and yes, at my feet is a shimmering blue arrow. I step through and immediately see another, directing me towards one of the guard shacks or out and away. _

_Instead of deciding which way to go right away, I take a moment to really see where I am at this moment. This particular guard shack is familiar. It is the one just above the Lab, where Kimble and I used to sun ourselves during our confinement in the blue doctor's medical bay. I will have to make sure I stay close by that stairwell there as much as I can. I don't know when I will be called to perform my sacred duty, so I want to be ready._

_I have to believe there is a reason I'm being shown all this. The thing is, now that I'm here in front of the guard shack, what am I supposed to do? I breathe deep and go forward, stepping inside the shack and not out towards the desert._

_As before, I am rewarded with another stream of images. It's there and gone quickly but it's not a correction, this time at least I made the right move. I have to be inside this shack at some point in time. The new images I see are jumbled and out of order I suspect. They aren't making much sense, you see._

_I see a man with long streaming red hair, his eyes wild and his mouth full of malice and anger. He holds two great leashes in his hands, restraints for two large beasts. They are lions, or I think that is what they are trying to be. It doesn't take long for me to see that they were once men, great fine examples of men. They wear the black stretch pants as their Master does, but that is more for some sign of dignity, and it is all they get. Both are golden haired and rippling with powerful muscle, their legs bent and crooked like dogs, their mouths pushed out in snouts with long sharp fangs. Their hands are clawed, long daggers of death that glint with malice in the sunlight, promising slaughter. Both are roaring, howling with excitement at the top of their lungs, eager for blood and mayhem. I shiver at the sight of them, they are surely devils from the **Chuckfet** version of Hell. What else could they be?_

_I see a puddle of golden liquid forming on hot asphalt, shimmering and bright, like heaven itself poured out on the ground. It sings of great mysteries and power. It terrifies me beyond belief._

_I see Wolverine covered in blood and gore, flailing out with his arms, blades out and creating his own red swath of destruction as he makes his way towards three huge Dognan Command ships that loom in the smoky distance._

_I hear a phone ring and the murmur of voices – _

"_You goan' get dat?"_

"_Nah, it's just the auto check in. Leave it."_

_I see an image of an army standing out on the tarmac. They are dressed in stark black uniforms nicely cut to fit their well trained, athletic bodies. This army is strange and powerful, diverse in their many forms. There are the winged ones, the ones of many colors, their skins are red and green and purple. I see some that should be monsters, some that are as beautiful as the sun. Men and women and even some children, all united with a single purpose._

_Their uniforms have a strange symbol on them, an X in a circle. I feel a strange surge of pride when I look at that symbol on their arms. They are one moment strong and powerful, confident. Then something happens out of my view and someone among them screams in fear -- a woman flees, back the way she had come. Someone shouts after her, but Wolverine screams at them to hold fast. This thing isn't near over, it has only just begun. It doesn't hide his own terror, it shakes his voice, makes it crack._

_I see a body of pure white, lying broken on the ground and a child running towards it – Kimble's Angel, I know that now. The sight of her brings out the same reaction in me every time. I leave the shack in a rush, holding my arms out towards her._

_The moment I step out the correction happens. _

_**This is what will happen if you fail! **_

_I scream in mental agony as I am bombarded with more images, but ones that are not so vague. It's the usual -- blood, gore, the screams of the dying, burned out cities and an exploding world that will no longer exist. The message is clear -- I am not to rush out, this is not my mission. I am to save her but not at that instant. _

_Yeah, all right. I'm cool with that -- for now. If the Spirits plan for me to watch her die they will be sadly disappointed. I will not allow it. Not now, not ever again._

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Remy leaned against a tree, looking down over Kimble's globe. He and Molly had brought Angel down to the Solarium this morning, going through the motions of giving Angel a visitation with her father. Kimble was still in his self imposed exile, neither the garden-like atmosphere in the Solarium nor a couple of days of blissful sunshine had managed to rouse him.

Angel was being a real trooper, however. She took in Kimble's condition with the same determination as she did any other fit her Siskan had taken. She brought toys with her, laying out her teddy bears around the frosted sphere and leaning against it companionably. She chatted away as though Kimble could hear her, reminding Remy of those who stubbornly spoke to comatose patients in the hope they would eventually respond. She was giving Kimble the daily news.

"... and now Uncle Remy said that Auntie Molly has two babies inside of her! Two! And they're a boy and a girl! I can't wait until they come out, daddy! I hope they have red eyes like Uncle Remy 'cause they're so pretty..."

Remy chuckled in spite of himself. He had woken in a low mood, exhausted from all of this. Kimble was being stubborn and not coming out, and Aiden'd had another nightmare overnight. The boy had tried to be quieter about it, but he was clearly just as upset as himself with all of the goings on. Max had stayed over as well on Logan's orders, for Angel's protection. Max wasn't complaining, Remy had plenty of beer and let him watch whatever he wanted on the TV, it sure beat standing out in Aiden's hallway or hanging out guarding Logan's holding cells. Remy enjoyed the company, and Molly never complained about the full house, but none of it gave Gambit any comfort.

Kimble wasn't coming out. No amount of talking had roused him, no visits from loved ones inspired him to leave his shell. Because of this, a sort of routine had been set up for Kimble's care. The globe would be brought out here to the Solarium during the day and then brought back to the holding cell at night for safekeeping.

Remy wasn't sure what to expect from Angel, this was her third visit out here to Kimble's globe and she still didn't seem upset that he continued to hide. Gambit watched as she leaned in closer to the bubble and said in a secretive whisper, "Daddy, Carrie says that storks bring little babies to your house, but I don't believe that. A stork couldn't make it down here and I can feel the vibrations from Molly, too. The babies are already here. I think they come from when Uncle Remy hugs Molly so much, don't you? I mean, he does it all the time!"

Remy glanced up at his wife, seeing her own embarrassed, suppressed laughter. Molly was bright and beautiful this morning, warm in the captured sunlight. Her shine was sparkly and bright, she had slept well in spite of Aiden's noise. She smiled her happiness on him and signed at him quickly, **_From the mouths of babes._**

He laughed at her joke, but it didn't keep him from hearing Angel giggle again. "I think so, too," she said to the bubble, an obvious response to something only she had heard.

Gambit's amusement turned into surprise. He cocked an eyebrow in curiosity and addressed the child, "You can 'ear 'im, petite?"

She looked up at him like he was an idiot. "Of course. Can't you?"

Well, that hurt. He shook his head in quick, irritated negation. "Non. 'E closed to me."

"It's okay," Angel was quick to reassure, sensing his discomfort. "Daddy says that it's just too noisy out here. He wants to be in the quiet."

Remy nodded and looked away from both his wife and the child, still quietly wounded. He knew he should be taking some relief at her words, she was, after all, confirming what Aiden had written. Kimble had checked out, but only for a while. When he was ready – if he ever was – he would come out on his own. What was most troubling to the thief was admitting that while Kimble's body was still here, his mind and playful laughter were gone, leaving a startlingly painful vacancy. Remy missed his friend terribly, like part of himself had been removed. It was a hard thing to admit with his wife standing right next to him, his beloved, but it was true that there was a small part of him that Kimble had claimed forever. Some little bit of him that had never surrendered to anyone else. That little piece of himself was crying now, a little bleed that wouldn't stop nagging at his heart.

Adding to his misery was that every time he looked at Kimble's globe, it was a solid reminder of his failure. All this time, when he'd thought he could actually help his friend, he was just kidding himself. The hurt ran deep and left a small mark of cruelty on him. He couldn't help himself but take some small measure of satisfaction that Aiden hadn't gotten Kimble out either. He knew it was wrong to feel that way, that it was best to keep Kimble's interests in mind, but some small miserable part of himself still felt pleased by it.

Aiden was just as miserable as his keeper. He kept up his work for Logan but was no longer allowed near the holding cells, no big surprise there. Back at Remy's apartments the Dreamer stayed very close to Angel and the two got along famously, instantly old friends. He was taking his sign language lessons in stride, learning rapidly and was now able to understand Molly fairly easily. After supper, Aiden was subjected to the indignity of an Angel tea party with all of the teddy bears and Barbie dolls, but he took it like a trooper, wearing with pure Siskan pride a horrifyingly pink big floppy hat Angel had stuck on his head, ignoring the less than amused smirk on Max's face as he watched. Aiden's devotion to his new Mistress was complete, an obvious compensation for Kimble's loss.

Remy shifted, feeling the tightness in his thigh. Aiden's little blast of Morrowhiem had done wonders for it. Just the one touch and already it was bearable for him to walk without crutches if he didn't go too far. The limp was heavy if he pushed too hard, but for the now, the pain made him feel good in a sick, self deprecating way. He almost understood Kimble's nobility in his suffering, in his desire for pain when he saw the agony of others who were in danger on his behalf, his own sick punishment for his failures. Remy closed his eyes on another wave of self loathing and felt his chest tighten just a little. Lord, he was miserable.

"You okay, Uncle Remy?"

Remy looked down into Angel's tawny eyes and managed a smile for her. "Oui, petite. Je suis, bien. Jus' a little tired, hien?"

She blinked at him, her disbelief plain, but he was spared from having to lie to her any further by the ringing of his cell phone. He turned from her, looking at the ID, and squinted in confusion. It was an outside call, from Westchester no less.

Just after Jael's attack, a small crew had been placed at the site of the ruined Xavier Mansion in New York, there to determine if it was feasible to restore the place or to just let it fall into rot. While he knew some of the people who had been sent there, he couldn't fathom why any of them would need to contact him. Expecting anything and nothing at all he answered, "Bonjour?"

"Heya, Remy, it's the Thing!"

Gambit couldn't help but smile at the joke. Malcolm Tilbert was a student from one of his training classes who had been sent out to the site for a little field experience. He was very young, a teenager, and his mutation was the ability to turn his body into a solid, rock like substance. As a private joke, Gambit had taken to calling him The Thing, after a member of the Fantastic Four who had a similar ability. The boy was also very excitable and tended to say everything in one long sentence, amazing that the kid never passed out from lack of oxygen. " 'Eh? What you want, Thing?"

"You're not gonna believe this but there's some weird cat guy here he came in a spaceship --- like I never thought I would ever see that! — he kinda looks like Maylee so I thought maybe you'd be interested he's got some kind of crate here said it was a special delivery for Mister Remy LeBeau from some guy named Trishnar a spaceship it was all silver and shiny like the Dragon, hey, do you think maybe it came from the same place!"

"Trishnar?" Remy exclaimed excitedly after a moment of quick minded deciphering. _Dat boy's gonna run outta air someday and keel right over!_ " 'E say what's in de box?"

"No. Only that he's supposed to deliver it to you personally and he won't leave until you get here. You gotta come out here and check it out."

"Got dat right. 'Old de fort, m' gonna be dere in an 'our."

Malcolm continued to babble unabated. "A spaceship hey do ya think maybe he'll let me ride in it it's all shiny and silver!"

"Maybe if you ask 'im nice. Now, I gotta go ---"

Malcolm wasn't even listening. "You gotta see this thing it's huge like a whole army of guys could fit in there he seems real nice this cat guy and the box is kinda big boy it sure looked heavy you'd think if they could build a ship like that they could make a box lighter if you know what I mean ---"

"Malcolm!" Remy snapped, violently interjecting around his own laughter. It was the only way to get a word in edgewise with this kid.

Malcolm broke off, startled. "Uh, what?"

"You gotta take a breat', fils. 'M gonna come out dere. I can't do dat if you tie me up on de phone. Do me a favor an' don't talk de guy's ear off 'fore I get a chance to get dere, d'accorde?"

Malcolm laughed, "Okay! See ya!"

"Au revoir," Remy clicked off, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Trishnar was sending him something? After all this time? The possibility of what that might be remained unsaid even in his own mind. He wouldn't dare to allow himself the hope. His fingers moved quickly, dialing Fallen's extension before he could voice to that thought.

-----------------------------

"What do you mean he's gone!" Logan roared.

The feral man was standing at his desk, his eyes red with fury. Rogue stood in front of him, her hands on her hips and not the least bit intimidated, she'd seen him like this too many times. One advantage of being relatively invulnerable was that she was one of the few who had nothing to fear from Logan, even at his worst. Being so blessed — or cursed, depending on your point of view – she had gotten the dubious job of informing her boss that his half brother Kristalay was nowhere to be found.

"Well now, don't be yellin' at me, boss. Ah didn' take him!"

"Where's Jerry?" Wolverine demanded, backing down just a little. Jerry had been on duty in the holding cells overnight and responsible for covering all the prisoners. It was now early morning and here it was, bad news at the start of the day.

"He's all passed out at his desk. Thomas is tryin' to wake him, but it looks like he's been drugged or somethin'. It don't look serious, just that he won't wake up. We put in a call to Henry to come look at him not even a minute ago and Ah came right here to tell you."

Wolverine growled, running a hand through his hair. This was not the way he'd wanted to start his day. "All right. I'm gonna go down there and check this out. Meantime I want you to grab all the recordings from last night's tapes."

"Right, boss."

Logan left her to it and made his way down to the holding cells. He couldn't believe that Sabretooth was capable of getting out of here, not on his own anyway. Well, there was going to be hell to pay by the sick fuck who dared to pull this off.

He slammed open the door to the holding cells and watched as Thomas jumped from the noise. The kid was standing over Jerry's limp body, trying to shake the man awake. Logan came close and gave Jerry a sniff, expecting some kind of sedative. He wasn't disappointed, he could smell some sort of chemical residue, something he couldn't identify but Henry would undoubtedly have a name for. Jerry was down deep and wouldn't be coming up for a while. Oddly, it didn't even look the guy had put up a fight, nothing was disturbed on the desk and he had no defensive wounds. Jerry was a top level telekinetic, impossible that someone could get the jump on him so easily.

_Just like Jennah._

_No! _Wolverine banished the thought quickly. Jennah had been killed and then harvested, Jerry was untouched. This couldn't possibly be the same thing.

Logan growled and turned to the holding cells, freezing instantly when he saw the faintest traces of footprints leading down the hall. This floor was kept quite clean, but his ever so keen eyes could discern traces of red dirt from outside, dirt left in the pattern of two horrifyingly familiar bare feet. A couple of the prints were marred by his less perceptive teammates, but there was no mistaking the size and shape of what he was looking at.

"No fuckin' way!" he snarled under his breath and moved quickly down to his half brother's cell, half expecting to see Kristalay's mutilated corpse even though he'd already been told the man was clean gone. The empty bed greeted him, the barred door open without damage. Impossible that this was done without raising any alarms and with no one seeing it. Oh, someone was going to pay and dearly.


	2. Chapter 2

(Two)

Remy sat in the front row of passenger seats in the Lucky Dragon, his long legs stretched out before him. One hand lay over his thigh, gently rubbing the bandage there. Old pain, new wounds. Sometimes it seemed like he couldn't catch a break. Well, that wasn't true of today was it?

"Beware Dognan Kings bearin' gifts," he softly mumbled, unable to stop the smile.

"What's that?" Fallen asked from her perch atop the closest pilot stick.

The Lucky Dragon had undergone many changes since Remy had first been on her. He could almost see a ghostly image of the cage room that used to be across from the rows of passenger seats, separating the pilot from the main room itself. Fallen had sealed up the cage room, making it into a solid walled bedroom that she and Seth shared when they weren't in the Complex. The pilot sticks were now outside that room, bringing her to a much more equal status as her passengers. Remy had long ago decided he liked this way much better.

"Nuthin' chere," Remy replied. "Jus' a little nervous is all."

Fallen nodded. "Me, too. I haven't been back since the Mansion was demolished."

That wasn't the reason for Gambit's nervousness but he didn't argue. The big Main Viewing Screen was on, giving a movie theater sized view of what was in front of them. They were close to the site now, it was showing up as a great big burnt out hole surrounded by an ocean of trees.

The Xavier Institute for Gifted Children had been a grand Victorian style Mansion, enlarged by a great many additions over the years. It had been recessed deep into the estate, protected by all that forest. All that remained now of that grand old house was a large pile of burnt timber. The fire was long gone, but the worst of the remains had been fenced off. Off to one side was a set of trailers, temporary housing for those stationed there for the moment.

Remy was startled to feel a strong jolt of homesickness at the sight of it. It was unexpected, just how strongly he felt about this place. So much had happened here, some of the best and worst years of his life. He and Molly had married here, just as Wolverine and Karen had done, and had attended countless other weddings here after his own. Kimble had raised Angel here, Remy had first found true acceptance here. The place simply couldn't be replaced. He could see the remnants of Kimble's large garden and part of the quad that hadn't quite fallen down yet. Just seeing all that again made him feel all the more strongly that this place had to be rebuilt, it simply had to.

Fallen moved, using a switch on her stick to make an adjustment to the screen. Immediately, a translucent image of a cloaked Dognan ship appeared parked on the large front lawn.

"A Shi-Betrion," Fallen said wistfully. "I helped build one of those once."

Remy startled a little. He'd known Fallen for years now, but all of that had been after her liberation. He often forgot that she used to be a Dognan slave. Fallen had been stolen from a parallel Earth, altered into a pilot and put into service. She hadn't done well in captivity and was disposed of in a pen for rejects, the place where the Clan eventually found her. She might have been freed by the Clan, but she retained all of the knowledge the Dognan had imprinted on her. Those files had allowed her to build the Lucky Dragon, a ship that was remarkable in its likeness to the one presently parked in front of Xavier's.

Fallen landed her craft a reasonable distance from its twin and they departed, Fallen walking protectively in front of her passenger. As a telekinetic, she was more powerful and neither one knew what to expect.

At once a gangly looking teenager with an unruly mop of brown hair stormed into view, spouting words a mile a minute. "Oh good, Remy, you're here hey, this is that cat guy he let me inside his spaceship and everything it was so cool I could hardly believe it!"

"Thing," Remy greeted, his voice lost over the words coming from his excited student. "Still ain't run out of air, I see."

"Oh, it was so cool and he's got a lot of boxes wait until you see those he's so nice!"

Remy stood indulgently by, rolling his eyes. The Dognan ship was cloaked but he could still make it out and the Dognan man standing there in front of it, his green eyes twinkling and his whiskers twitching in excitement. A strange look crossed the man's face as he took in Fallen's appearance with some surprise. Remy knew what it was, Fallen was an exceptional pilot, she was the only one Remy had seen that was so human, most of the others were like intelligent animals, not so self aware. She was dressed and walking with a pride that no other pilot that Remy had seen ever had. Obviously their guest could see this and was amused and delighted by it.

Throughout all of this, Malcolm continue to spout his words in a steady stream of excitement, "...his ship is so cool its got lots of rooms and these funny white little girl things like Fallen only his don't talk and they don't have clothes and they're stuck in a cage which isn't very nice but they don't seem to mind --"

"Thing!" Remy snapped finally, smiling to take the sting from it. He raised a hand. "Arretez-vous, sil vous plait!"

Malcolm halted at once, blushing all in his face. "Oh! Sorry, Rems. It's just all so exciting!"

"Je sais. But let's not be rude to de guy, eh?"

"Okay, sure. I gotta run anyway. I'll see you later then?"

"Class tomorrow."

"Tomorrow. Bye!" Malcolm, the Thing by nickname, trotted off, waving as he went.

All was blessed silence as Gambit next turned his attention to their Dognan guest. "Bonjour."

"Master Remy."

Gambit startled at the odd use of his name, but broke out into a grin. The tall Dognan officer stood there patiently and the thief was forced to spin that Rolodex of names in his head. Good thing he was quick. "Buckley! As I live an' breathe!"

Buckley was one of several Dognan officers Remy had met during that brief stay at Trishnar's. They had seen each other often and this young officer had left something of an impression. Gambit walked past Fallen and gave the great lion man a generous squeeze. "You ain't changed one bit."

"Unlike you, sir. Is that a bit of grey now I see in your hair? Tsk. You humans have no life span," Buckley teased, returning the embrace with vigor. He stepped back and gave Remy a wink. "I have something for you."

Remy staggered back a bit from Buckley's arms, the man hugged like a bear, but it had felt wonderful. "So I been told."

"I was instructed to deliver a package by hand only to you."

"What's in it?"

Buckley just grinned and waved a hand towards his ship. "This way, please."

Remy followed Buckley's lead and he and Fallen crossed the grass to Buckley's craft. Up the ramp they went and into the large Main Room. The setup was almost identical to the original Lucky Dragon and Remy wasn't the least bit surprised to see two tiny pilots curled up asleep in the cage room. They were naked on a straw bed without blankets and clearly kept as animals more than as humans. They were clean and well cared for, their shines sparkling happily enough, but they were not free as Fallen was.

A tiny vibration of irritation that drifted across his back had Remy looking behind him at Fallen. "You okay, chere? You could wait outside if you like."

Her smile was tense. "I'm fine."

Buckley startled at her speech. "Your pilot talks?"

Remy was immediately defensive. "Oui, she does."

Buckley smiled graciously and without malice, trying to be courteous. "Then you are as blessed with pilots as you are Siskans, my friend. Such superior pilots are rare and most treasured. The Spirits smile on you."

Buckley turned away before he could further offend and showed Gambit a large stack of crates. There were many and it was clear one of them contained a live animal. The crate was well ventilated and Remy could see a small furred creature, something that looked like a ferret but was the oddest color he'd ever seen in an animal, a light purple. It was curled up and sleeping at the moment, not moving. Its shine was shimmering bright like a glow, stronger than any other animal Remy had encountered so far. It raised his curiosity, but he was impatient to continue. Whatever he might have expected, this odd collection of boxes wasn't it. His hopes a bit dashed, he stood at a loss. He poked at the box with the violet ferret, "An' who is dis guy?"

Buckley smiled casually with the air of a man who's the only one who gets the joke. "Oh, that? That's Smee."

"Smee?"

"Yeah. It's a package deal. He comes with the box."

"De box? Which one?"

"This one," Buckley answered, lifting one and dumping it into Remy's arms.

Gambit received it with a startled grunt and felt a stab of pain run down his leg. It was the size of a large bread box and deceptively heavy, it had to be well over fifty pounds. Buckley, being Dognan, was far stronger than his human guest, something he knew obviously, he was grinning mischievously now. "Maybe your pilot can help you."

Fallen didn't hesitate, she took the box from him, using her telekinetic power to take the weight of it easily. Remy thanked her and brushed off, shaking his head at the officer.

"I'm sorry," Buckley apologized. "I couldn't resist. This came with the box." He handed Remy an envelope of fine parchment sealed with wax. The wax had Trishnar's personal seal pressed into it. Remy wasted no time in opening it and Trishnar's fine script met his eyes, a message written in familiar Siskan. At once Remy's grin spread open, his greatest hope had been answered, his unspoken wish had been granted.

_To my good and trusted friend, _

_If you are reading this letter and not seeing me standing in front of you myself, then I must be gone. Have no fear, I am still not out of the Game just yet. As a parting gift to my most unworthy dispatcher, I could think of no one I'd rather entrust my greatest treasure to than yourself. He is Asher du Shemanatay, the Great Serenity. _

_I have to believe that Aiden is with you, he told me it would be so in a dream. A dream I had the misfortune of not properly preparing for if you are reading this now. I can only hope my Dreamer did not come to you alone. _

_I fear there will be cheating in this Game, now that it's come down to the end. I decided then to do some cheating of my own. I can't bear the thought of my Great Serenity belonging to anyone else so I saw to it that he was to be sent on to you if anything should happen to me. Enjoy him, you will have need of this gift of mine, yes. Guard him well and keep him safe. I promised him the Game would never touch him and now that promise has been passed on to you, a princely inheritance and responsibility. I know you will live up to it far better than any of my sons._

_I had Asher delivered in hypersleep to make the long journey more comfortable, but he might be trifle cranky when he wakes. Just lay him in the sun and all will be well._

_Trishnar_

Remy couldn't help but shiver, feeling gooseflesh rise on his arms. Asher. This was the Siskan Aiden had written of, the one who had helped him on Solestra. Aiden hadn't described Asher in much detail but one fact had burned itself deeply into Remy's mind. This one could mend damaged 'grams. _Mend damaged 'grams! Kimble!_ he cried out to his inner self, no longer able to be silent.

**_/ Easy, Rems. Let's get moving! Take him outside! _**Shi'ow-ri cheered, his excitement her own.

Gambit hesitated, his mind still trying to digest all of this. It looked like Aiden was wrong when he thought Trishnar hadn't believed his dire warnings. The King had made provisions, just ones that Aiden hadn't been privy to. Well, he was damned if he was going to wait until he got to Arizona to find out just what Asher was like in real life!

"Go on then," Buckley cheered in the same spirit, giving Remy a playful shove towards the ramp. "Let's get him up, shall we?"

They all piled out of the ship and out onto the lawn. Remy opened the crate, only to find a smaller inner box that was sealed with heavy wax. He was a bit impatient with the delay, unable to hide his anticipation. This second box was a modest size, big enough to hold a basketball, but it had some real weight to it. He pulled out balls of straw like fluff and peeled off the wax before lifting off the lid, revealing a grey cube inside. Puzzled now, he slid the heavy square out. It was a plastic container that held what had to be gel for a Siskan hologram. He could see two glowing orbs floating freely inside. A wire connected them to a small metal box that could only be a battery to keep the star drives alive. Another note was attached, _"Charge me in the sun."_

"Trishnar said for me not to leave until the Siskan was awakened," Buckley said, his green cat's eyes gleaming. "I was his loyal officer and I will honor my word. Those boxes in my ship are Asher's, but as his new Master, they are yours to take."

"Merci," Remy replied, his mind elsewhere. He carefully slid the gel block out into the bright sun.

Gambit hardly noticed that his heart was racing and that his breath was coming in short pants. He was jacked up with excitement, his hands trembling and shaking. He could see that the Siskan contained within the box had been damaged, a Kintay du Lushna-esk. There were only the two star drives suspended in the block of gel, something that only confirmed this one's identity. Aiden had said Asher couldn't shift his skin, that his third star had been destroyed.

He took a wary step back as the gel began to stir inside its container once the sun had warmed it a bit. It swirled and shifted, becoming grey as it charged. The star drives faded from view as the block gradually became solid. It was also growing larger. The container tipped and fell over of its own accord as the product inside began to expand, spilling its contents out onto the grass. Remy gasped as instead of taking a more human shape, the gel took on bestial features. He could see a large body and four legs... but did he also see arms?

Oh, yeah. That.

Aiden had mentioned that Asher was in an unnatural, blended skin. One that the Dreamer had suggested would force Asher into celibacy. But what kind of skin would keep a Siskan from working with clients? Was he scary?

Remy glanced around him, regretting his decision to do this here. If something bad should happen he was in no position to stop it.

"Do not be afraid," Buckley said, placing an arm on his shoulder. "Asher will not hurt you, he is most gentle. Asher was reduced to gel to survive his journey. Solestra is far away, it took us several weeks to get here. This is hypersleep. There is no sun in space and he would have suffered. He will be quite well now, but I suggest you stay and let him be in the sun for an hour or so before you return."

"Merci."

"His is a sad story," Buckley continued to explain. "He doesn't look human as most of the Siskans do, he is a man and an animal combined, a histerion if I am not mistaken."

"A histerion?" Remy questioned, not understanding.

"Yes," Buckley replied, considering. "The closest thing you could call it... what? A centaur in your American, I think."

"A centaur?" Gambit asked in surprise and looked at the growing pool of gel, his eyes wide. It had indeed formed that mythical creature's body now, there was no doubt of it. He could see the horse and what looked like a human torso forming from the chest up in front of it. The creature on its side was becoming alive and aware, it thrashed its legs about, but not in a frightened, flailing way. It was more like stretching out, waking up.

Immediately Gambit's mind flashed on Aiden's paintings with wild understanding. Of course, there had been one or two of a centaur, it was only that he'd been too thick to figure it out.

Buckley was answering him, "Yes. Before Trishnar found him, Asher was the property of a jealous Master. This Siskan was quite fair and his gentle demeanor made him attractive to the men and women of our species alike. Alas, this Master's wife fell in love with Asher. The Master found out and punished Asher by putting him in the combined body of a horse and a human youth, all with the good looks of a proper Siskan. This way Asher would still be pleasing to the eye, but could never serve properly with clients again. The Master then took Asher's third star away. Now Asher can never shift, he will always be in the skin of a beast with the mind and desire of a man. No lover would want him now, especially not the Master's wife. She turned away from him like he was diseased. It's hard to imagine such cruelty in a Master. Trishnar would never have done so. He loved all of his Siskans. It's hard to think of him as being gone."

"Dere is much cruelty in dis world, 'specially towards dose folks t'ink are less dan real," Remy replied, deeply angry that someone could be so cruel. In spite of Aiden's writings suggesting otherwise, Remy was certain this Siskan would be bitter and angry and with good reason.

Asher's body shivered once violently as the last of his skin was formed in the bath of sunlight streaming down from above. It didn't take long for Remy to understand what Buckley had meant by Asher's former Master being cruel. Asher's human torso was a normal fleshly pink, but obviously that of an adolescent child, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old, tops. A youth he truly was, someone too young to be found attractive by anyone but a pedophile. On that tiny torso was a huge, sparkling grey Mark, made all the bigger because of Asher's small size. It matched Kimble's Purple, but the woman was a fine silver grey. His human parts were finely chiseled as were all Siskan males and he was indeed quite handsome, even for one so young. Pretty. His hair was shoulder length and a fine silvery grey, almost white.

His horse's body was a grey and brown brindle, stripes of color shimmered throughout the long body. It was quite beautiful, a stocky sturdy pony with long feathering hair about his legs. His hooves were mahogany and shining as though polished, wide and strong, his tail long and streaming with luxuriant shiny hair. Of course it didn't take long to see that Asher's former Master had extended his cruelty to its fullest, Asher's human body such as it was, was male, but the rest of him was in the form of a mare. One quick surreptitious glance by the curious thief revealed this Siskan didn't appear to have any genitalia of any kind at all. His celibacy would be forced, not simply forbidden out of the natural taboo of bestiality.

Asher was waking rapidly. He gave a snort, almost a laugh, before carefully rising. He found his feet, and once more gave an indulgent stretch to his long pony's body and raised his arms, bending them behind his head and cracking his back and neck. Upright now, he was taller than the adolescent child of his torso, his blended skin giving him some illusion of size and maturity.

The centaur took a look around him, smiling at once when he saw Buckley right there. He spoke in fluid Siskan, his happiness apparent to all. **_"Howdy, Buckley. See ya made the trip all right. I trust m' Smee didn't jabber yer ears off too badly."_**

"**_It was almost unendurable, but I managed,"_** Buckley replied with equal pleasure.

Asher laughed at Buckley's humor, then once more looked around himself, trying to get his bearings in this strange place. His eyes closed in on Remy and he broke out in a playful, almost shy child-like smile. Remy couldn't help but return it. This creature was fantastically gorgeous, sparkling and vibrating pure animal energy. What was most surprising about him though, was the serenity in his pale blue grey eyes. Here was the first Siskan Remy had seen that didn't seem to be carrying around a truckload of angst and worry. Odd that it should come from a 'gram that Remy presumed must be celibate. Kimble floundered from lack of use while this one clearly did not.

His serenity wasn't the only thing to set this Siskan apart, Asher's shine was brilliant, revealing he was a person of immense power. One vibration of curiosity said his Kundatesh was strong, powerful, and intoxicating. It sent a message, clear and ringing, and Remy received it with Shi'ow-ri's voice. **_/ And who might you be? M' new Master, I expect. I hopes yer as good as Trishnar wuz. It's hard thing, movin' on. We Siskans never seem ta knows where we's gonna end up. /_**

Remy came forward, intending to give a generous kiss as he had assumed a Siskan of Trishnar's might want, eager to set the newcomer's mind at ease.** _/ I'm not yo' Master, but I'll take good care of you just you see. Trishnar trusted me, 'm gonna do 'im proud. /_**

Asher surprised Remy by accepting the vibration, but dodging the kiss. Instead Asher gave him his cheek, continental style, while issuing a vibration of detached affection. It was a reservation Remy hadn't expected, every other Siskan Gambit had met greeted him with a deep, suck face, "let's make out for hours" kiss, a standard way of reading the other. Gambit was a bit puzzled, did Asher not like him in some way?

Asher smiled at him just the same and took his hands, startling when there was a bit of static as his energy starved body took a sample of Remy's Ristle, an unexpected surprise. Both of them shivered at the heat of the exchange, but Asher laughed with a quick understanding. This was no ordinary human he'd just sampled. **_"Yer an alpha. Well, what do ya knows about that?"_**

Oh, the voice wasn't enough -- a pure echo of Kimble's now not so unique accent -- but now there was Kimble's catch phrase as well! Could this get any freakier? Remy was reeling, almost dizzy from this most awkward of greetings.

The centaur before him felt it and let slip another vibration of affection and curiosity. He'd enjoyed that brief jolt of energy, that and Remy's answering call of Kundatesh, something he wanted to know more about. **_"What's yer name, kitten?"_** he asked, his voice gentle and his soft grey eyes playful.

Gambit snickered softly at the nickname, relaxing under the non-threatening vibrations of the newcomer, the name wasn't one he'd heard directed at himself before. **_"I am Remy LeBeau, but folks 'ere call me Gambit." _**

"_**Huh, you talks like Aiden there, but not quite. Not so many Z's." **_

"Oui, **_Gambit use 'is up long ago, eh?" _**

Asher laughed, a deep heartfelt roar and Remy got the feeling this Siskan laughed often and with great pleasure. **_"All righty, then. If you ain't m' Master, than who is? Trishnar sent word you wuz gonna takes me." _**

"**_Gambit will take you,_** cher. **_Just not as yo' Master. Siskans 'ere run free." _**

Asher just cocked his head. **_"Siskans gots ta have Masters." _**

"New place, new rules," Remy said in English, testing if Asher spoke this as well.

"Trishnar said you wuz diff'rent," the Siskan replied in kind, answering Gambit's unspoken question. "Thought maybe it wuz cuz yer an alpha an' all, guess there's more to it than that," he replied in decent English, the accent carrying over as Kimble's had done.

"Don't worry. I don't bite."

Asher nodded at that and stretched again, looking nervously at the burnt out building. "We gonna unpack or what?"

Gambit laughed. "Don't worry, cher. Dat's not home, we got another ride comin'. Come on, let's get your stuff."

-----------------------------------

Remy watched his new charge as the centaur stood easily in the isle of the Lucky Dragon. As bizarre as this day had been for him, he couldn't imagine what it had been like for Asher. To be moved from one Master to another, from one palace to another, from an old comfortable life to a new one filled with uncertainty. At least the Siskan seemed to be holding up well enough.

After Asher was given some time to recharge, they had returned to Buckley's ship and started to transfer Asher's belongings to the Lucky Dragon. It was kind of ironic, Aiden had come to him with only a knapsack filled with rumpled clothing, but Asher had several large crates, all containing personal items. Most of them were books, Asher had explained. Trishnar had been generous with his estate.

His estate.

Remy closed his eyes on internal laughter. Remy had always suffered from a fragile self esteem and it always perplexed him when others showered him with surprising generosity. Trishnar had given him far more than Asher alone. There had been more boxes and these had been for him. He opened one, a toolbox sized crate filled with gold and jewels, presents for him. This box was only one of several Trishnar had given him. It seemed he'd left a good impression during that visit all those years ago, enough that Trishnar had presented him with a princely sized share of his estate. Gambit would never have to worry where his next meal was coming from.

In his embarrassment, Gambit had tried to give some of it to Buckley, but the officer had merely laughed at him, saying he had already been well compensated. Remy was left to shake his head in confusion, wondering just what he had done to deserve this. It was more than he knew what to do with. Truth was, he was plenty wealthy before this, his own father had left him set up well when he'd passed away. Looked like some local charities were going to be his new best friends.

There were additional boxes for Aiden and Babette and some for any of the others from the harem that might have escaped, Trishnar had taken every precaution for their care. Seeing as how Aiden now walked alone, the entire inheritance was his, no small amount. The love that it had taken to prompt such generosity almost brought tears to Remy's eyes, an emotion he tried his best to control. He only hoped Aiden would take this well.

Asher had taken in Remy's whirlwind emotions with silent amusement, saying little as he moved his own boxes back and forth, using his workhorse body to easily pull a sled of their new belongings from one ship to the other. Before the work had begun, however, he had first opened the ventilated little crate and freed that odd little ferret. Immediately the purple creature had squeaked with happiness, startling Remy with its tiny little voice. "Long time Master sleep! So lonely, lonely in space it is! Poor Smee, so alone! Poor, poor Smee!"

"Ah, shut yer little mouth," Asher chided with great kindness, stroking the tiny beast with loving hands. "You been talkin' Buckley's ear off the whole way here, he told me so. You musta been all happy, havin' someone who ain't heard alla yer noise before."

"Not the Master, no! Not the same it 'tis!"

Asher's eyes dipped half shut with affection and he brought the little beast to his chest in a gentle hug. "I knows, lovely. I knows. I'm here now."

Remy watched this with a dawning realization. This creature had a bright shine, one he had supposed had belonged to its species, but he was quickly figuring out that it was so much more than that. This was Asher's Angel!

At once Asher's eyes glanced up to him, betraying a hint of fear, and he grasped the creature a little more tightly. "That's right. He's mine. He's a Mumbler, 's why he talks so much."

Remy didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know the origin of this one's concern. Asher had just changed hands, been given to a new Master. As his new Master, Remy had the right not only to Asher himself for whatever use he desired, but to any and all of his possessions. Gambit could rob this creature blind and never be held accountable for it. For all Remy knew, it had been done to Asher in the past, he knew next to nothing about Asher's beginnings. Well, the last thing he wanted was Asher's fear.

"I ain't gonna take him from you, Asher. I wouldn't dream of it," Gambit was quick to say, his voice careful. "Yo' Master wouldn't 'ave given you to me if I would."

Asher smiled then, looking at him a little more deeply than he had before. What Remy had first perceived to be a sort of shyness was actually this one's great caution. More than ready to break the barrier between them, Gambit once more took Asher's hand and sent off as a large a vibration he could muster, one of genuine respect and love.**_ / I won't 'urt you. Not you, not yo' angel. You ain't my first Siskan and I've grown to love you all. Trishnar promise de Game wasn't gonna touch you an' I mean to keep dat vow as best I can. Friends?_**

Asher laughed then and embraced him, coming closer than he had before. "Yer all right," he said, finally relaxing. "Yer all right."

"Glad to know it, cher. Now let's get all dis moved, eh? Gonna take a while."

Asher chuckled, draping Smee over the back of his neck like a furry purple scarf. "You might know from Siskans, but you ain't met one likes me."

Well, that had certainly proved true. Asher had made short work of the load, betraying some telekinetic talent in there. He loaded the boxes where Fallen had directed and they were soon saying their goodbyes to Buckley and on their way home. Remy had tried to offer Buckley accommodations at the Arizona Complex but the officer begged off, saying he had many more duties to attend to, primarily the enjoyment of the riches Trishnar had bestowed on him. Remy gave him his heartfelt thanks and they departed.

Once in flight on the Lucky Dragon, Asher couldn't possibly use any of the passenger seats so he stood in the isle, leaning against the walls of Fallen's bedroom for support. The ride was smooth and Asher seemed comfortable enough.

Remy couldn't stop himself from looking at him. There was a light sheen to Asher's pelt and he just knew it would be soft as crushed velvet if he were to touch it. The hair of his tail looked silky and fine, like the feathering of his legs. Just like Kimble's luxurious white fur, Asher's skin was made to please in all ways and so it was. Asher's shine was sparkly bright and yet devoid of all the darker colors of passion and anger. Asher seemed to be on an even keel, serene. His eyes were a steel greyish blue and glanced at him now and then, aware of his new Master's scrutiny.

Gambit had learned quickly enough that Asher wasn't going to let him off the hook. He wasn't like Aiden at all, this one wanted to be owned. He kept deferring to Remy's wishes and opinions, showing an unwillingness to agree to his own independence. Gambit didn't know how much of a problem that was going to be.

"Sumpthin' ya wants ta tells me?" Asher asked, stroking the now sleeping Mumbler on his neck.

Remy nodded thoughtfully. "Aiden's back at de Complex. 'E tell me about you."

Asher smiled warmly. "That's good ta hears. How's m' Dreamer?"

"Been 'appier."

"His sister is gone."

Remy hid his surprise. Aiden had hinted that Asher just seemed to know things and it was in play here. It was still creepy to see it. "Dat's not all 'e lost."

"Tells me about it," Asher requested, wanting to know what he had missed.

Remy took a deep breath and began to explain about everything. He started with Aiden's arrival at the Complex and then branched off into Kimble's woes. Aiden's fate was intertwined with Kimble's and it would always be that way now. It was a long tale and ate up most of the time they had in travel. Asher was quiet and let him talk, stroking his Mumbler and now and again touching the large silver cross around his neck.

Along with the Mumbler, Asher had also picked up a large leather purse with a shoulder strap. He had inventoried the contents of this bag and Gambit was a little startled to see not only the large silver cross, but what looked like a worn and tattered American Standard Bible and a string of rosary beads. Aiden had hinted at this one's use of prayer, but it hadn't really meant anything to Remy until now. A Christian Siskan? Well, that was a tale for later. The bag was worn and personal, Asher had fitted the strap over his shoulder with the ease of habit and it was there even now.

Asher nodded when Remy was done speaking. "You wants me ta takes a look at yer Kimble?"

"If you would."

"It would be m' pleasure."

Remy smiled with real relief and leaned back in his seat. He looked across at Fallen, watching her as she flew them home. She had been oddly quiet from the moment they had disembarked to meet Buckley. At first he'd thought it was because of all the reminders of her Dognan enslavement, but now he wasn't so sure. Asher made her nervous, he was certain of it now. It was there in her shine, in her personal discomfort. Remy could only guess it had to do with Seth in some way, she had disliked Aiden almost from the start and it seemed she would be a bit chilly with Asher as well.

If Asher sensed it, he gave no sign, but Remy did notice that he kept back along the wall, well behind her where it would be harder for her to see him. He never looked at her though he must be curious. This one asked few questions. At the same time, Asher was emitting an almost constant low level vibration of peace and serenity, a wish for a peaceful ride with no anxiety. Remy was left to wonder if Asher did this all the time or if it was simply to ease Fallen's nervousness.

Remy took advantage of the next break in conversation to use his cell phone. He gave Henry a quick call, requesting that Kimble's sphere be brought to the holding cells. Whatever Asher was going to do he wanted it done in private. Aiden's diary had given him some idea of what might take place and he recalled that Kain had first been violent after being awakened. There was no way Remy was going to have Kimble --- or even worse, Zander --- make a scene in the Solarium.

"We're coming up on the Complex now," Fallen said, interrupting.

Remy nodded and rang off, smiling with anticipation as the Complex came up on the Main Screen. They were home.

---------------

The Lucky Dragon touched down and as they departed, Remy was surprised to see Aiden waiting there on the blacktop, fidgeting in his agitation and excitement. Gambit had left in such a rush, he never thought to tell Aiden where he was going or why. It looked like the Dreamer had found out on his own.

"Bonjour, Dreamer," Remy greeted with a smile, coming down the ramp. His voice was gentle, but inquisitive as he asked, "Shouldn't you be workin'?"

"Zere wasz szome trouble dere. Wol'vrine szend Aiden 'ome," Aiden replied just a little too absently, he was looking over Gambit's shoulder to see who was coming down the ramp next.

"Trouble? What trouble?" Remy asked but never got an answer. Aiden had cried out loudly and rudely moved past him to plow right into Asher's arms.

"Ashair! Ashair!" Aiden cried, his shine swirling darkly with all sorts of emotions, too many to be properly read. He was happy, he was terrified, he was deeply grieved, it was all swirling about in a hysterical kaleidoscope of color.

"Heya, kitten," Asher replied, grunting with the impact of Aiden's embrace and holding Aiden tightly. His eyes had closed with loving affection and he was breathing in deeply, reading Aiden's mood, or trying to. "Yes, I knows she's gone. It's all right. She's at peace."

Remy stepped back, relaxing as he watched this with an intense curiosity. Aiden had said Asher very intuitive and here it was again, his knowing things without them having to be said. Clearly he was speaking about Babette and Aiden's terrible loss. Aiden was trembling almost violently now, grasping Asher with what had to be painful force, but Asher took the abuse without complaint, stroking one hand through Aiden's blonde wispy hair and releasing powerful vibrations of comfort. Aiden was crying now, tears flooding his eyes as he broke down into Muzla gibberish, unable to get the words out fast enough.

Asher nodded in spite of Aiden's incomprehensible garble. "It's all right, kitten. I knows. Our Master told me all abouts him, too," Asher was answering as he tried to calm Aiden down. "It's all right. I'll takes a look at yer Kimble, I promise."

It was a full minute before Aiden gathered himself and relaxed enough to release his grip on his Siskan brother. Asher was patient, taking his time and touching Aiden gently, even going so far as to give him a gentle lingering kiss, more than he had offered to Gambit. It was Aiden's distress that had prompted it and Aiden calmed even more from it, backing away after another moment.

Aiden glanced once at Fallen, almost embarrassed by all of this emotion, but then collected himself. "You find your Anjel?' he asked Asher with a small smile, seeing Smee there for the first time.

"Yeah," Asher replied, giving Smee a quick pat of affection. The creature was still draped about his neck, though he had almost been dislodged by Aiden's tearful assault. "This is m' Smee."

" 'Allo, Szmee," Aiden greeted, offering his hand to be smelled.

Smee gave him a sniff, but was looking him over more with his beady black eyes. "The bluey blue one it 'tis!" he squeaked in his tiny voice, his ferret's face seeming to smile. "Hugs so tighty tight. Makes the Master happily happy, he does!"

Aiden cocked his head, his grin spreading. "Not szo shy, disz one, eh?"

"No he ain't," Asher said, finally getting them moving a bit, they had been blocking the ramp of the Dragon this whole time and Fallen had been waiting to get down. "Once ya gits him talkin', there ain't no shuttin' him up neither."

Fallen made her way past them, her face smiling, but her shine speaking only of relief at the thought of her job being done, she wanted to leave. "I'll have Asher's things brought inside," she said to Remy.

Gambit shook his head. "Dere's a lot of stuff. Don't know where it's all gonna go just yet."

"Well, we can leave it for now. The Dragon is secure enough, no one will touch it. Just give me a call and I'll have it all brought wherever you want when you find out."

"Merci, chere, for dat an' for bringin' me out so quick."

"Anytime," she replied, giving him a quick embrace. Then she was gone.

Asher watched her go, his body quiet, but his shine betraying his thoughtful mind. He was curious about her and wondering why she was so agitated. Her shine had darkened at Aiden's appearance -- she wasn't so happy to see him, and she hadn't acknowledged his presence verbally at all, a deliberate snub.

Aiden cared not one bit, he was moving Asher to the nearest guard shack and the stairs leading down into the Complex. "Keemble 'asz been moved down to ze Lab."

"The Lab?" Asher asked nervously. "What's that?"

"It isz 'oszpital," Aiden replied. "Zey take ze szick onesz dere."

"All right."

Asher allowed himself to be led to the stairs, but hesitated at the top. The steps were a bit steep and he took a breath, moving calmly and steadily down. His body was long and his hooves not exactly made for this. He had to turn a bit sideways and took it slow, grasping onto the handrail and doing his best not to slip. Gambit had thought to offer the elevator down, but they would have had to walk well out of their way to the main building. Asher hadn't complained, just took it slow and he made it down well enough.

Smee chattered nervously the whole way down, commenting on how it wouldn't be so great for his Master to fall on top of him and could they please go just a little slower? Asher just took his comments with patient serenity, simply petting his talkative pet and laughing softly.

Once down in the hallway and back on safer ground, they made their way quickly to Henry's Lab. Asher took in all the sights of this strange building with rapt curiosity, rudely staring with surprise as some of the more colorful alphas passed him by. They stared right back, Asher's handsome centaur's body was just as surprising to them.

Remy was on his phone the moment they left the stairs, letting Henry know they had arrived, and indeed the big blue doctor met them at the door of the Lab, his own shine betraying some agitation. Holding his Siskan charges back, Remy was quick to greet him. "What's goin' on?"

"Creed is missing. Didn't Aiden tell you?"

Gambit glanced back at the Dreamer in irritation. "Non. 'E 'ave other t'ings on 'is mind. What you mean Saby is gone?"

Henry moved Remy aside to whisper privately, "Someone has taken him. His cell was broken into sometime last night and he is gone. No one thinks he is still in the Complex, including the Professor. Creed isn't showing up on any of the security cameras and no one can figure out how they got out. Logan is livid."

"I can imagine," Remy replied. He was starting to feel that stress overload working its way on him. He had his hands full with his Siskans at the moment, he would have to compartmentalize Creed for later consideration. He couldn't imagine that these two events were in any way connected.

"Jerry was at the desk on watch. Whoever took Sabretooth drugged him so deeply he didn't pull out of it."

"What?" Remy questioned sharply, his eyes wide.

"Jerry died less than thirty minutes ago."

Remy closed his eyes. Yeah, Jerry hadn't been the friendliest guy, but he hadn't deserved to die. On top of that Logan was sure to be pissed.

"We're on a silent Code Red. Charles didn't want to panic everyone. There is a meeting scheduled for later today," Beast cautioned, but then pulled back to politely address the centaur who had been waiting so patiently all this time. "And who is our guest?"

Remy shifted gears quickly, not wanting to upset anyone. Quite frankly, as much as the news had upset him, he was more eager to see Kimble looked after first. "Excuse-moi, Henry. Dis is Asher, one of Trishnar's Siskans. 'E send 'im to me from away."

"Very good," Beast said, holding his hand out to Asher to be shaken. "The more of you in safe keeping the merrier."

Asher smiled warmly at that, responding to the good reception. He could see no lie in the doctor's shine and was comforted by the happiness there. This place was huge and strange to him, thoughts he was trying to put out of his mind, they were disruptive to his serenity, a state of mind he did his best to maintain at all times. He was doing his best to dismiss the perplexing exchange between the doctor and the thief, clearly what they had shared was Complex business and had nothing to do with him.

"M' Master says y'all got Kimble here an' that he needs some attention. How's about we goes an' takes a look, okay?"

Henry smiled. "This way."


	3. Chapter 3

(Three)

Henry brought them to Kimble's cell and then backed away, giving them the privacy Remy had asked for. Asher took one look at Kimble's sphere and shook his head. "You shure git some kinda sick pleasure outta challengin' me, Dreamer."

"Sick pleasure, sick it is, yes, pleasure. Not so funny 'tis..." Smee mumbled from his crouch on Asher's shoulder, prompting his owner to shush him with a soft stroke of his hands.

" 'E'sz all shatter'," Aiden said and then offered as an excuse, "Ze **Chuckfet**, zey de onesz reszponszible. Zey break 'im like dey done to me."

Asher nodded, but Remy could see that it was not exactly in agreement. "I kin sees that. You boys got some in common. You wuz just like this when I seen ya first. Never thought I'd be workin' on this again."

Remy made a noise so Asher would look at him. He knew some of the answer already but couldn't help but ask, "Aiden was just like dis when 'e hide away?"

Asher nodded. "Yeah, only his shield wuzn't near so perfect. The Dreamer here, he don't make the barriers so good. Just enough to keep folks off some, but they don't hold up under much pressure."

Never one to take criticism well, Aiden's shine flickered a bit in annoyance.

"What?" Asher questioned, giving him a playful nudge. "Jus' the simple truth, is all."

Remy watched this, his mind working past the two Siskans teasing one another to the importance of what Asher had said. Remy had read of Aiden's condition in his diary, but there was still some hidden resentment that Aiden hadn't simply mentioned this on his own to help. He couldn't help but think with a combination of disappointment and anger, _'E done it to punish me wit' Kimble. 'E still t'ink I don' understand one goddammed t'ing._

"Hey," Asher said next to Remy, interrupting. He'd seen the unhappiness in Gambit's shine and didn't want it. Remy shouldn't be blaming himself for anything here. "Play with yer guilt later. What yer boy done here is shield up. It's okay, it's actually a good thing. He needed a time out an' took one, didn't cause no harm to nobody or himself, get it? So it wuz Seth's goin' inta **Shemusk** what caused all this?" Asher asked to Gambit in review, giving Aiden a strange look.

"Oui. De way Aiden describe it."

Asher sniffed, keeping his thoughts on that to himself. "An' you said Kimble wuz unstable even before this, right? He wouldn't keel over just fer that."

"Dat's right. It was just like I explained to you before."

Asher nodded sagely, his voice tight as he said, "I gots it. He wuz all strugglin' an' yer friends, in their infinite wisdom an' understandin', tooks away his Angel an' his freedom."

"Free," Smee crooned, almost purring the word as if he understood the value of it. "Tooks away his free, tooks it they did."

Remy sighed in irritation and crossed his arms, ignoring the comment from the wee furry peanut gallery. While Asher's statement was true, those things were taken out of context.

Asher stroked his pet, demanding silence. At the same time he cocked his head and grinned at Remy, trying to take the sting out of such basic truths. "I kin see why maybe he gots a little tired then. Once a Siskan gits broke there's always the danger they'll breaks again if theys stressed out too much. But don't have no fear just yet, kittens, this bubble thing I kin fix. Maybe gives him a hand with the rest, too."

Remy retreated to lean against the wall, trying to fight his doubt and anxiety. Shi'ow-ri was telling him Asher believed this to be true, but that didn't make it so. He was going along with this for his curiosity's sake, that and Aiden seemed so sure about this new arrival.

Asher carefully adjusted his Mumbler, removing him from his shoulder and placing him in Aiden's care along with his leather bag. He whispered a soft command to the creature, asking for his good behavior. "Smee be good!" the Mumbler mumbled, a smile in his beady black eyes. "Goody good is Smee, all times good!"

Satisfied his Angel was in good hands, Asher stepped into the cell and stood over Kimble's sphere, laying his hands on the hard crystal bubble. Before he began, he closed his eyes and grasped his cross, saying a soft prayer for Divine assistance that Remy couldn't make out. Asher finished, made the sign of the cross across his chest, and took another deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the coming battle. Satisfied, he next said softly in Siskan, **_"Quishnalay Command Override: Hide and Seek."_**

Remy nodded to himself, remembering some of this from Aiden's writing. The Dreamer had alluded to Asher's knowledge of Overrides and how they could be used without his actually writing down the entire Command itself. Kimble's bubble immediately evaporated, melting away as though it never had been. Kimble was now exposed, sitting in a hunched over ball, his head on his knees, his arms wrapped around his legs, holding them tight, keeping him small. He was just as he had been when Remy saw him last, a bit surprising considering the globe had been moved several times. His wings were pressed up tight to his back and flat. His eyes were shut, but relaxed as though he was in sleep.

Gambit had to take a deep breath to calm his swirling sense of relief. The sight of his Siskan safe and sound thrilled him more than he would have liked to admit and he couldn't hide the surge of affection that left him. In an effort to conceal just how much he'd been affected by Kimble's return, he found himself stumbling over words, saying anything to deflect any attention to what he might be feeling. "You know de Overrides?" he was asking Asher, to confirm what he already knew.

Asher smiled at him, reading all that emotion far too well, but polite enough to give the thief his privacy. "Some of 'em. Jus' enough ta gits by."

Asher knelt down, folding his pony legs under him to come down to Kimble's level. He came in close, his front to Kimble's back, enfolding the pilot in his slim adolescent arms. It looked so odd, the younger embracing the older this way. Funny how Remy had never thought so much on the age of these beings. Kimble by appearance was a perpetual thirty, while Asher here was a teenager trapped in an endless puberty. Asher still looked fifteen at best, it was his elongated body that gave him any kind of size. Of course these differences meant only one thing, 'Don't judge me by what I look like.' A lesson Remy had learned long ago. Kimble was far more than he seemed and he guessed that would be true of Asher as well.

"Hey. Hey, kitten. Wakes up," Asher commanded softly to his brother, reaching up with one hand to gently brush Kimble's cheek.

Kimble's face crinkled into a frown and a low whimper of complaint leaked out. A whimper that was small and too child like to be Kimble, Lin was still in charge.

Asher sent out a vibration of love and comfort. "Come on, time ta wakes up. Don't be hidin' yer kitten face from me."

"**_Go's away,"_** Lin said in his soft Siskan, a warning more than a command. He went on to confess, **_"It ain't safe ta be's around us. We's wicked, we done the baddest things!"_**

Asher wasn't the least bit fazed. "It's all right now, little 'un. Let me talks ta Kimble."

"_**He's sleepin's. You gots ta go aways, it ain't safe here with us! All we does is hurtin's, rapin's, and killdings! Leaves us alone!"**_

Remy swallowed hard, nearly choking on the lump in his throat. It was the voice that had done it. Lin was so small and so afraid. He was the sum of all of Kimble's desire to never hurt a living soul ever again. Unable to stop the body from doing harm to others, Lin took it upon himself to hide the body away and then warn any trespasser who dared to come close that they were in danger. He confessed Kimble's sins.

Asher simply smiled, hugging Kimble's body close and scrunching him up small, nice and warm. He kissed the top of Kimble's head and said, "It's all right, little 'un, just like I said. You done yer job good, keepin' us all safe, but ya done it long enough. It's time now fer the healin', and I needs Kimble fer that."

"_**We wuz healeded before, but it didn't keeps. There ain't no safe place no mores."**_

"There's a safe place all right. Right here with me. You kin go's back ta sleep now, Lin. It'll be just fine, I promise." With that, Asher released a powerful vibration, one filled with love and peace.

Kimble's body shuddered from the impact of it and with a soft cry, Lin was dislodged, no longer needed. The pilot settled once more and was still. A second later, one of Kimble's eyes opened halfway. "Sheyman?" he asked, confused by the voice he'd been hearing. It sounded like it had been coming from across a great distance, from somewhere far away.

Asher laughed softly. "Nope, it's yer brother, comes ta say hi from far away."

"Ain't gots no brother. Not one what speaks like you do anaways."

Asher kissed the top of Kimble's head again and squeezed a little harder. "Well ya do now. Looks at me, kitten."

"No," Kimble argued and turned his head down and away. "I don't wants to."

Asher wasn't the least bit put off. "Will ya at least talks ta me then?"

"I dunno. 'Pends on what ya wants ta talks about, I guess."

"Why ya hidin', shieldin' away?"

"I miss m' garden."

Asher looked up as Remy made a strange noise of confusion. Kimble had made a large garden back at the Mansion. It was elaborate and well looked after, filled with flowers and neat rows of vegetables that had kept the occupants of the quad in salads all summer long. It was a year round affair, peppered with fire bushes and dwarf pine trees that Kimble trimmed into animal shapes in winter. Small statues had been strategically placed, every item there placed with care and great thought. It was the envy of the house, none of the other students had come close to Kimble's efforts and oddly... not once had the pilot mentioned the garden since they had come here.

"Tells me about it," Asher replied.

Kimble answered happily, his voice filled with innocent pride. "It gots all the flowers. Roses, pansies, lillies and snappin' dragons. I likes the roses, butcha gots ta be careful on account of the thorns. I gits pricked a lot when I ain't thinkin' so good sometimes," he finished, a frown crinkling his face. He shivered off a vibration of deep, deep sorrow.

Remy shifted, thinking hard. He could see Kimble's garden in his mind, had been there many times. It wasn't until the very last of Kimble's words that he realized the images he was seeing in his own mind were not his own. He was far too experienced in the ways of telepaths and empaths not to know what this was. Red on black eyes opened wide when he realized that someone was projecting Kimble's thoughts and images into his head, something unexpected. Knowing the others in this room as well as he did, he could only conclude that this was the work of their new friend Asher, a strange trick that enabled him to better understand what the poor wounded pilot was feeling. It brought back the memory of when he and Kimble had shared Kimble's memory files all those years ago, that sharing had created the bond that held them together. Seeing this now renewed that bond and he felt Kimble more intensely than he had in a long time.

That bond was putting him in Kimble's place. Gambit saw an image of his precious Siskan in that garden, smiling at first as he worked, trimming away at the flowers. Then some stray thought passed through him and the pilot frowned, paused in his task. Grief swept through him at the thought of... what? Of others being hurt on his behalf, of being in a position where others protected him instead of him taking care of himself. The pain was startling and agonizing.

Asher felt it, too. He stroked his hands over Kimble's skin and asked a question to draw Kimble away from his grief. "Ya gots statues in yer garden?"

"Yup," Kimble answered, brightening quickly at the change in tack and turning his head to reveal a dreamy smile. "I likes dragons. Remy gots me some wizards. They's cool, but I likes m' dragons best. Molly always gits me those. She loves me."

Again the image shifted in Remy's mind and he saw the statues, as clear as if he was in that garden himself. He'd forgotten how beautiful they were. He'd always had an eye for art, something he and Kimble shared. Molly might not be as educated in art as well as he, but she knew what Kimble's tastes were. The pilot's love for her was powerful, shining and bright as Kimble thought about how she always seemed know what would please him best.

"And who is Molly?" Asher was asking.

"She's Remy's Mistress."

Asher glanced up again at the thief, checking his response. Gambit was smiling now, happy with thoughts of his wife and her love for Kimble. She had been so forgiving. It pleased Remy to hear the love there for her in Kimble's voice, he wanted all of this ugliness to be gone and things back to where they had been. He missed Kimble's garden, too, with a sudden heartfelt ache. He missed Westchester and the happy times the three of them had had there.

Asher continued to probe Kimble's mind. "Why do ya miss yer garden, kitten?"

"Cuz it ain't here. I don't wants ta be here no more. I ain't never did."

"Why's that? I kin feels a great love fer you all around."

Kimble's answer was so soft, it could hardly be heard. "I done a bad thing. I always do bad things. I'm vera vera bad."

Asher didn't miss it, his fingers continued to stroke the pilot's cheek. "What you done?"

"I touched someone I wuzn't suppozta."

Remy shivered as he was suddenly confronted with a series of blurred images. White Siskan flesh merging and melding, two bodies becoming as one, the sensuality of it almost more than he could bear. Seth and Kimble. Bright white heat and love, a brotherly love so intense it almost brought tears to his eyes. He felt the final snap of Seth's ultimate release, of the end of the poor boy's suffering. It was blinding, that sparkling release, the reason for all of this mess in the first place. It was followed by Seth's overpowering feeling of gratitude, that his brother had done this wonderful helpful thing. In spite of all the discussions about whether or not **Shemusk** was real, it had been real to Seth and his empathic brother could feel it, there was no doubt that what had passed between them resulted in Seth's ultimate rescue from a torment he hadn't been able to get out of otherwise. Remy's romantic, emotional heart, his inner Siskan self, felt it was impossible that Kimble's actions, though extreme, could ever have been wrong.

Remy opened his eyes to find Aiden staring right back at him, his lips curled into a knowing smile. No words passed, but the thief knew instantly what Aiden was thinking. What Kimble had done for Seth, Aiden had done for him. The memory of that came back full bore and Remy shivered again. Nothing could ever take that moment from him, of what they had shared. He might not have been as bad off as Seth had been, but there was no doubting the degree of control and understanding of his power he had gained from their encounter. He wouldn't be where he was now if not for Aiden's intervention.**_ / D'accorde. I understand now. Je suis de'sole for me bein' kinda slow about it. /_**

_**/ Zere isz not'ing to forgive. All will be well now. Ashair will see to it. /**_

The centaur was speaking to Kimble now, expressing what they were all feeling. "There ain't no bad done by you, only an act of pure love. Fixin' what's broke ain't never wrong."

"His Mistress hit me!" Kimble complained with a sob, revealing hidden anger. He'd been submissive to Fallen, but really there had been a wellspring of resentment that he'd choked down, fueling his breakdown.

Remy stirred restlessly, flash images of Fallen's attack coming at him along with Kimble's vibrations of inner turmoil over the event. It was so very different seeing and feeling like this than it was to simply have the tale told to him. It also made more complete the fragmented picture that Kimble was giving him all these past weeks. Kimble had been hiding and here was what was missing. Kimble had been unnaturally passive since the move here. The only real aggression he'd shown was when he'd come forth to defend his Angel. The pilot had a real bad habit of swallowing his anger, never complaining about those things that bothered him. It was as though he thought he didn't have the right to express himself. Remy supposed that was probably true. Anytime Kimble let go with some of that anger, it led to trouble and his subsequent punishment. Kimble was receiving negative reinforcement against expressing his deepest, darkest feelings.

Kimble continued to bawl, "She hates me now, they alls do! They's scared. First comes the rapin', then comes the killding. Don't wanna be doin' no more hurting and killding! Bad things! All I done is bad, bad things!"

Remy shivered and took a step forward into the holding cell, distressed that Lin's words were coming out of Kimble's mouth. "Easy, Kim ---" he started to say, but Asher was right there, his arms already finding Kimble and pulling him up close.

Kimble was thrashing, trying to reform his bubble, but Asher wouldn't allow it. He issued soft Overrides with his mouth, but his arms did the real work. He moved Kimble with surprising strength and agility for his size, twisting the pilot around to better look at him. He sat Kimble in the lap of his bent forelegs, laying him back over one arm while using the other to hold his chin. Like Aiden, he was preternaturally strong and Kimble was easily controlled.

Asher then leaned forward and covered Kimble's mouth in a vampire kiss, silencing his whimpers of pain and anger. With the contact, Asher's face and hands began to glow slightly pink, sending out strange vibrations of healing that Remy could feel even from a few feet away. When Asher started to speak, his lips still very close to Kimble's, the glowing became stronger, bleeding into Kimble's body and making him shiver. "There ain't no real bad in ya, I'd've felt it. Not no more. Yer good, Kim. Yer good in yer heart and yer thoughts and yer way of lovin' evraone. All ya gots is some pain. Lets go of yer pain, yer anger. Gives them ta me. I'll takes 'em. I'll takes yer pain. I'll takes all of it." He came forward and kissed Kimble again.

Kimble took the kiss and sobbed, "I don't wants ta be dangerous no more!"

Asher kissed him again. "You ain't dangerous. Only when ya hides what ya feels. Gives it ta me. Give me yer pain."

"I killded Mary!"

A kiss, taking Kimble's fear and offering forgiveness. "You wuz protectin' yer Angel."

"They puts me onna sex offender list like they do the rapists and perverts what hurted people!"

"They didn't knows what they wuz seein'. Given time, they'll understands. I'll helps them understand what happened."

"I- I don't wants ta be alone!"

A kiss. "You gots yer Aiden now."

"I don't wants ta hurt him. I hurts all m' Masters, m' lovers. I hurts them all!"

A kiss. "Aiden ain't yer Master. He ain't yer lover neither. He's yer soulmate. A part of ya that cain't never be tooks away, no matter what yous or anaone else does."

"I- I loves him! It's so bad!"

Another kiss, taking more of that fear and pain. "Love ain't never bad. Not the kinda love I feels comin' outta yer vera soul, Kim. What ya feels fer Aiden is beyond alla that. It'll heals ya fer good, if ya lets it. Don't be fightin' it no more."

"I loves Seth. I didn't means ta hurts him!"

"Ya didn't hurts him. Ya set him free."

"His Mistress hit me! Fallen hit me!" Kimble snarled suddenly, switching back to anger. "She never tried ta understand what Seth asked me ta do! She useta love me, trust me! Now all she does is hates me! She's scared of me now! Her an' evraone else!"

"Didja offer yerself ta her, beg her fergiveness?"

Kimble paused in his rant, bewildered by the suggestion. "What?"

"Didja ever asks her ta fergives you?"

Kimble blinked at him. "There wuzn't no chance."

"B'fore or after ya shuts yerself off?"

Kimble turned away, an angry pout snarling his lips.

"I ain't pickin' on ya, kitten. Jus' that ya gotta give folks some kinda chance."

"She wouldn't ever fergives me nohow. She already made up her mind about me."

"And how do ya knows this?"

"I seen it in her shine. Been there a long time, since long b'fore we ever come here. Just didn't ever wants ta see it fer what it wuz. She thinks I'm a monster. She thinks I wants ta break Seth but I wouldn't ever do nuthin' likes that, not even if he asked me to."

Gambit shifted again, trying to let this go on without interfering. He knew Kimble needed this, but some part of him was jealous that Asher had drawn out this much so fast when he'd been unable to himself. Beyond the events of the other day, he hadn't considered just how much Fallen had hurt his Siskan, that she'd had a part in anything Kimble was feeling. This was a pain on many levels.

Kimble wasn't finished. "She burned Aiden when he tried ta helps me! He didn't do nuthin' an' she hurt him anaways!"

"He broked her wrist. He hurted her without thinkin' in his anger," Asher replied without judgement, giving them all a flash image of the quick event. Remy was quick to note the vision was from Aiden's point of view, answering the question of where it had come from.

Aiden shifted, uncomfortable himself when confronted by his own brutality, but he didn't fight it.

"He done that?" Kimble asked breathlessly. He'd missed the whole thing.

"Yeah, he wuz upset that she wuz hurtin' you sos he done it without thinkin'. She burned him in return. See? It wuzn't personal, just somethin' that happened so fast, it wuz over 'fore anyone could do anathin' ta stops it."

"She still come after me," Kimble grumbled, though his heart wasn't in the argument anymore. He was just tired now and sick of all this.

"Did it ever occurs ta ya ta explain why ya done whatcha done? Maybe she mighta seen what wuz happenin' and apologize."

Kimble squinted at him. "What?"

"She might apologize."

"She wouldn't ever do that."

Asher snickered softly. "Why not?"

"Cuz..cuz she's a Mistress."

"So? Is she yer Mistress?"

"Nope. Not no more."

"Then what is she to you?"

"A friend, I guess. M' brother's Mistress."

"You've got rights, Kim. If it hurts ya that bad, asks her ta apologize. Then ya gots ta fergives her fer what she done. When she sees ya fergivin' her, then she'll fergives you fer yer tresspass."

Kimble put his head down, skillfully changing the subject away from his own culpability in the matter. "I ain't never gots no rights."

Remy couldn't stop the hiss of anger that escaped his tightly clenched lips. That wasn't true and he resented Kimble saying so. This was a dig at him, he'd done everything in his power to see to it that Kimble was given a fair shake in everything. **_/ Now dat wasn't fair! _**his body vibrated in fury.

Aiden felt it and moved in between him and Kimble, blocking as much of Remy's vibration as he could, he didn't want anything to get in the way of Asher's work. He moved the Mumbler in his arms to his shoulder as a cautionary measure and looked up at Remy. _**/ Don't be mad. Keemble juszt 'az to unload 'isz anger. 'E wouldn't do it for either of usz, mebbe 'e do it for Ashair if we both be a little patient.** /_

**_/ Gambit done everyt'ing 'e could fo' 'im!_ **Remy complained bitterly. He was shaking now and hot, warm in his frustration. He hadn't expected any of this to get turned around on him. He snatched at his coat, slipping it off in his anger and tossing it aside, needing the movement to burn off his need to react physically in some way.

Aiden watched his friend move, upset by Remy's distress, but kept his defensive position.** _/ Aiden knowsz disz, me. Keemble know it, too. 'E'sz juszt 'urting too much to realize it. Let Ashair do for 'im, eh? Just wait an' szee. /_**

Gambit blinked his assent, but he refused to relax. He was still upset. Aiden reached out and touched him gently. **_/ Aiden lovesz you, me. Keemble doesz, too. It'sz dere everytime 'e szpeak of you. Dat love alwaysz dere. Let Ashair 'elp 'im find it, non?_**

**_/ All right. We do dis yo' way fo' now, _**Gambit replied, finally backing down and taking a step back to show his relent.

Their silent conversation prompted Asher to glance up at them, but the centaur addressed the pilot in front of him. "Why ya sayin' ya gots no rights?"

"Cuz evrathin gits done without m' sayin' so!"

Another kiss to calm Kimble, to stop the tears shining in his eyes. "What things?"

"We moved here an' no one asked me if I wanted ta go."

Remy closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair as his irritation soared once more. Hot tears of rage wet his eyes and he squeezed them shut all the tighter, refusing to give into this yet again. There was so much Kimble refused to understand. All of this had been done for his protection. The fact that the Westchester Mansion had been demolished should have cemented it into Kimble's mind. Aiden paced once more in front of him, not quite blocking his view but showing him that he wasn't going to be allowed to interfere.

Kimble continued, his eyes fixed on Asher and not on his friends. "I gots m' own place when I didn't wants it. I lived with Remy fer seven years, now I'm all alone. I didn't wants ta be!"

"Aiden is here."

"They's all scared of him cuz a me. They think all Siskans 're nuts cuz a me, even when he ain't done nuthin'. I fucked up, but they punished him. That's the way it always is. Evrathin's always my fault!"

Asher gave him another kiss to calm him. "Aiden's fine now. His injury is healed. I'll negotiate on yer behalf ta lets Aiden remain livin' with ya, maybe moves back inta yer old place. I knows Aiden pretty well an' I kin be pretty persuasive when I gots ta be. Folks tend ta listen ta me cuz I don't git so angry. I'll helps ya, but ya just gots ta do sumpthin' fer me. Ya gots ta fergive them all for what they's done to ya. Fergiveness? It's like a kind of power. Once ya fergives someone, they's got no more hold on ya. They cain't hurtcha no more, not inside where all the feelin' is. If ya kin fergives, then yer free, Kim. Free ta loves like ya been made ta do.

"The anger 'n hate, it's like a sickness, killin' ya a little more each day. Ya gots ta git rid of it. Ya gots ta gives me the rest of yer hate an' pain sos ya ain't so sad and small no more. Gives it ta me. C'mon now. Let it go. Fergives them all." Asher's mouth came on his like before, silencing the last of Kimble's grievances and drowning him with the purest love.

Kimble whimpered, an unmistakable sound of surrender. Remy recognized the sound and looked up at him. He'd heard it many times right before Kimble let him take him and do with him what he would. It never failed to fuel his passion and he felt a shudder rip right through him, he couldn't help it. He watched as Asher's kiss became deeper and the pilot arched his back in ecstacy, his body sending out a silent demand for more. His shine was brilliant now, the dullness that had been there since his breakdown was gone, replaced with a bright beacon of happiness. Asher pulled him ever closer, never releasing that vampire kiss.

One of his hands rose to gently stroke small circles on Kimble's chest. Remy's eyes widened as he saw swirls of sparkling glitter lights smear in those circles, growing sparkly and more bright each time that hand passed over them again and again. No explanation was necessary, Remy had read about this in Aiden's story. It was one thing to read it, though, quite another to see it. He remembered the Morrowhiem well enough on his own and its powerful effect. It had just been a long time since he'd seen it and felt it himself, but his body reacted on its own, desiring it with near reckless abandon. He was almost salivating like Pavlov's dog at the sight of it, a reaction just as shocking to himself. He reined himself in with a soft curse, not liking anything that made him react so unexpectedly.

Aiden saw Remy's conflict and whispered, "It'sz ze Morrowhiem, ze sztrongeszt show of love for a Sziszkan. You rememberin' it now, yesz. Ze mind might forget, but never your Sziszkan szelf. It szerve a purposze, it can heal ze szick, brighten ze shine of one not feelin' szo good on ze inszide. It ze beszt for **Shemuszk,** eh? But disz you already know."

"Know it he does, yes," Smee chimed in with what looked like a smile.

Remy could only nod, still trying to wrap his brain around all of this.

Aiden was still explaining, "Not all of usz 'ave it, only ze Kintay. Keemble would 'ave it, if 'e wasz not szo broke down tired. 'E love it, d'ough. Watch, Keemble can never resziszt disz."

The swirling glitter was bright and shining now in Kimble's body, coursing right through him as the vibrations between Asher and Kimble continued to grow stronger. Remy knew instinctively that this was not going to be as simple as the glitter showers Aiden had given him. No, Asher was taking this to the next level, revealing a talent beyond Aiden's own. Asher spoke some soft word and the glitter he had spread over Kimble's chest seemed to ignite, flashing brightly all at once.

Kimble surrendered to it and gasped loudly with pleasure, the inevitable tremors of rapture taking him. He was climaxing right there in Asher's arms, undone by the healing Morrowhiem and the passion of his savior. Asher let go of his kiss and held the pilot as he shook, smiling with satisfaction at his work.

It was a full minute before Kimble stopped trembling and shaking enough to open his eyes. He looked up with wonder into Asher's face. "What's goin' on? Who are you?"

"I'm Asher. I'm a friend of yer Aiden's. He asked me ta come an' helps ya. Sos here I am."

Kimble blinked and glanced around him in confusion. Everything was so clear, not so dark and cloudy like before. He didn't have that draining away feeling of loss and hopelessness. He recognized the sensation and asked, "You kin fix the codes like the Games Master done?"

Asher laughed a little. "If only that wuz true. I'd loves ta put that fucker outta business. Nawr, I just 'restarted' ya a little I guess. Got ya leveled out chemically. When yer outta whack like that, it affects yer body. I kin fix that. How ya feelin' now?"

"Better. Not so sad an' small," Kimble said in a soft tease, using Asher's words.

"Good," Asher replied happily. "Didja fergives them all, huh?"

"Yeah. Wuz so silly, bein' all mad likes that."

"Yes. It just ain't worth it, y'know? The more ya lets it go, the better you'll feel. Don't you fergit what I said, 'bout fergiveness bein' a power. You gots that power inside of ya, use it often an' you'll never be so messed up like you wuz. An' don't you worry none, I'm gonna gits you straight with Aiden. Y' won't be alone and you'll be better ta looks after yer Angel. Cain't do that if yer all sick inside like that, 'kay?"

Kimble embraced him quickly. "I loves you!" he said suddenly, trembling.

Asher laughed merrily, returning the squeeze with equal enthusiasm. "I loves ya, too. I loves all my brothers and sisters. Nuthin' gives me more pleasure then when they's all happy inside an' glowin' just like ya are right now. The love is the best thing, Kim. Always 'member that. Gotta gives it out, not yer hatin'. It's the love that's gonna save us all, just you wait an' see." He gave Kimble another quick kiss and lay him down, letting him sprawl out on the padded floor. The pilot took a deep breath, shivered with happiness and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly, drunk on whatever Asher had done.

His job accomplished, Asher looked next at Aiden. "Well, now that's done, come here."

"I'm good," the Dreamer replied, a wary evasion in his eyes.

"Shure ya been. Now gives that Mumbler ta Remy there and come here."

Aiden stayed put and Remy stood waiting, a small smile of amusement growing on his lips.

Asher scowled at him with fatherly impatience. "Oh? An' I'm supposeta believe Father ain't been ridin' ya?"

"He'sz been quiet."

Remy cocked an eyebrow at Aiden, finding this situation amusing in spite of the fact that Aiden had clearly been withholding. Even though Aiden knew Remy had read his diary, they had never spoken directly of his ghosts.

"You cain't lie worth shit, now git yer ass over here," Asher commanded, his voice growing more stern. So odd, the child ordering the elder around. Still, there was no mistaking who was in charge here.

"Aiden isz fine," the Dreamer tried to insist to no avail.

"Git. Yer. Ass. Over. Here. Now," Asher commanded again and with real authority, a tone not to be argued with.

Aiden put his head down in surrender and shocked Gambit by submissively handing Smee over to him before walking over and kneeling in front of Asher like a young boy being punished. Aiden didn't submit to anyone, but he was doing it now. He allowed Asher to seat him in his lap and lay him back over one arm as he had done with Kimble. Asher brushed back the long bangs of Aiden's face and kissed him. "Now that wuzn't so hard now wuz it?"

"Szorry, Ashair," Aiden replied demurely, his eyes down.

"Still fightin' yer war against the **Chuckfet**?"

"Zey 'urt me!" Aiden answered in a whimpering cry. It took him no time to fall apart as he issued his own set of complaints. Tears poured from his eyes as he bawled, "Zey kilt m' Maszter! Kilt m' sziszter'sz anjel! She die from it, 'er 'eart szo broke! She- she take 'er own life! Zey kilt her! Zey did disz to me! Lef' me szo alone!"

Asher shuddered in mental agony, showing some weakness for the first time. At the mention of David's murder, Remy saw a black rip of resentful anger course through Asher's shine, a clear sign of sympathy for Aiden and a desire to avenge his brother's loss --- and then Remy witnessed Asher's powerful will crush and kill those deadly emotions in less than a second. Asher's voice was calm as he replied, "An' what has all yer fightin' gotten ya, huh? The purpose of life is to loves and to learn. Do these things and you'll gits the most out of your time here. Hate is weakness. It blunts our power though it might not seem so right away. Hate leads only ta madness. Our compassion is our greatest strength, our greatest gift. Don' gives that up. It's okay to loves them, you know. The **Chuckfet.** Not all of 'em are so bad."

Aiden let go of his pain with a wracking sob. Asher let him cry for a moment, then kissed him as he had Kimble. Once more the fingers traced circles over Aiden's chest, sparkling glitter soon to be ignited flowing free. Aiden resisted longer than Kimble did, but not by much. He shuddered under the centaur's treatment and then lay limp in Asher's embrace, gasping softly and shivering.

Asher held him until he calmed and then let Aiden fall gently down next to Kimble where he lay in slumber. He hadn't blacked out from the treatment, he was simply exhausted from the past days' ordeal. Aiden turned against his lover and Kimble embraced him without waking.

Asher looked down on them pleased, then took another moment to cross himself again and give a prayer of gratitude for so successful a session. His motions and vibrations gave Remy the impression that Asher had failed in the past before, but not this day. He finished his prayer and looked up at Remy, his face pale and his exhaustion plain now that the repairs were done. He gave the thief a wan smile. "We gots ta talk some, you an' me."


	4. Chapter 4

(Four)

"Dat's some trick," Remy praised, sending out a vibration of his appreciation. Kimble and Aiden lay at Asher's feet, curled around one another and sleeping happily. He could tell by Kimble's shine that his Siskan was truly on the mend. They would have a talk later, address some of things Kimble brought up during the session with Asher. It would be easier to do that when Kimble was calm, when he was straight like he seemed to be now.

"Leaves 'em be fer now. Let 'em sleeps it off," Asher said, rising stiffly. He swayed on his pony's legs, shaking now.

Remy came forward, alarmed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I jus- I jus gotta gits in the sun. Been a long time since I hadta pulls a double. Still a little tired from travelin' an' all, too."

"I'll walk you down to de Solarium."

"Thanks."

Remy offered first the return of the Mumbler and then his shoulder for support. Asher took them both, leaning on the thief as they made their way to the door. Asher's skin was cold, showing a loss of power. As soon as the left the tiny holding cell, two of Logan's guards made to follow and Remy just closed his eyes to them, refusing to acknowledge them. He did however give Henry a nod, the doctor was waiting for them just outside. "Gonna take Asher down to de Solarium for a charge."

Henry nodded. "I can assume everything went well?"

"Yeah, just cover 'em up and let dem sleep awhile."

"Sleepy sleeps they is," Smee mumbled, his beady eyes gleaming. "Nighty nights!"

"All right," Henry agreed with a laugh at that, and went to fetch a blanket.

Gambit moved his charge along through the Lab, slowly shuffling down the corridor on their way to the Solarium door for this level. As they walked, Asher began by saying, "The Games Master didn't fix yer kitten so good, the repair ain't exactly right. When he lay with Seth, he transferred codes to his brother. It helped Seth, but it weakened him, left him vulnerable. That's why he shut down on ya."

"Kimble transferred codes?" Remy asked in surprise. While Henry had confirmed a chemical transference, he hadn't said anything about codes. Of course, and exchange of codes wouldn't show up on any scanner Beast possessed.

"Yup. That's what really happens when **Shemusk** is broken. Trouble is, Kim and Seth 're two halves of the same person, Kimble didn't have no spare codes to gives. He wasn't the one what should have taken Seth out of **Shemusk**. It should have been Aiden, or better yet, myself, but it's too late fer that now I guess."

"Is Kimble gonna be okay?" Remy couldn't help but ask. He hadn't liked what Asher had said. It sounded bad.

Asher smiled at him and sent him a vibration of comfort. "I thinks so. I might hafta do what I done today more'n once. Gots ta keeps him small, 'kay? He needs to be sheltered now. This place yer livin' in, it's just too big. It's got too many vibrations flyin' around."

"Dis de only place we got, fils."

"I knows what yer sayin', but think on this, 'kay? I been around a lot of 'grams, I don' knows of one single case where a Lushna-esk 'gram wuz ever integrated right inta normal society. We wuz meant to be kept small and protected."

Remy shook his head. "What about you, non? Aiden say you were left to run free."

Asher shook his head, his eyes small and tired. "Not like you means. Yeah, I wuzn't in no box or nuthin', but I wuz either kept in charge of m' Master's harem or in my shed on Solestra, keepin' to myself without a lot of visitors. And I liked it just fine that way, understand? Too many folks just crowd us with all a yer feelin's."

Remy nodded, trying his best to understand. He thought of Aiden's situation. Even back at Trishnar's palace, during his short visit there, Gambit had seen the tensions running through Trishnar's small group of Lushan-esk 'grams. They were isolated, but still served many clients. They had fared better than Kimble had, but even they were a little disturbed. "I'll t'ink about what I can do, eh? I just don't have a lot of control over de livin' spaces 'ere. It ain't my house."

"Then you'll just hafta makes do I guess. The thing is, ta keeps the Lover in charge, ya gots ta give the Punisher and the Confessor no reason ta comes out, gots it?"

"Got it," Remy agreed readily, pretty much knowing that already. "Jus' been kinda hard, comprenez? I'm just one guy."

"Lets Aiden live with him then. It'll keeps him stable. Both of them."

"Dey was stayin' together, just deir place was so small. Now Babette die dere, I been keepin' Aiden wit me. I'd like to see dem bot' move back into Kim's old place, but some folks 'ere t'inkin' it's not so good for Aiden to be close to Kimble's Angel."

Asher looked at him in surprise. "Why's that? Dreamer's always been good with the little 'uns. He wuz raisin' David just the same as Babette."

Remy smiled a bit at that. "Aiden didn't ever speak much on that so de folks here don't know. Guess dey thought that since Aiden come from de outside, he might be a t'reat to Angel."

"You thinkin' that way?"

Remy was quick to shake his head in negation. "Non. Seen de two of dem together. He go right down on his knees, declare himself to 'er. Now she 'is Mistress just de same as Kimble. 'E love 'er wit all 'is heart."

"How did that makes ya feel?"

Remy smiled. "Happy, I guess. I could see 'e meant it. But de others 'ere don't see like I do. Dey afraid of what dey don' understand."

"Give them time. I toldja a Siskan needs to be owned one way or the other. She'll keep his heart and he'll do anathin' ta protects her. Keeps them all tagether, it will makes them all heal faster."

"Dat ain't up to me. Wish it was, den all dis would be a nonissue," Remy replied with some bitterness. They had come to the Solarium door and Remy gave it a shove, helping the stumbling centaur pass through.

Asher shuddered with relief the moment the first bright rays of the sun struck his skin. "Ahh... thanks be to God, that's so vera good!"

"Goody good the brighty light!" Smee sang, wrapping himself around his Master's neck. The sun was sparkling on his pale purple fur and he seemed to enjoy it as much as Asher did.

Remy just laughed and brought them to the clearing where Kimble's globe had once been. This was a nice quiet spot with plenty of flowers and a shade tree. Wanting sun instead of shade, they settled down on the grass and Asher stretched, the sunshine heavenly on his cold skin. "This is the best, what a treasure ta haves a place likes this. I could lives right here."

"Nice idea, but dis a public place. I'd like ta see you and de others settled in at Kim's."

Asher just nodded, prompted by the mention of Kimble's name to add, "Kim will always be broken, that ain't never gonna change. Like I said to you before, there's parts of him missin'. Now more than before. Put him where he is the most loved."

"Been doin' dat all along, it didn't seem to work so good."

"You didn't ever love him the way Aiden does. Now that they're both set straight, they'll looks after each other just fine."

Remy scowled a bit at the idea that Aiden loved Kimble better than he did himself. It just didn't seem possible with all the time he had invested in the pilot.

Asher just smiled at him. "Don't be takin' that personal, it's jus' the simple truth. Still hurts, I knows, but don't let it gits to ya. It's okay now."

Gambit nodded, not exactly in agreement, but unwilling to argue about it.

Asher patted his knee, "Yer very Siskan fer a human. I kin sees why Kimble chose you."

Remy just shook his head. He was getting warmer by the minute and pulled his coat off, spreading it out on the grass. " 'E didn't choose me. It all just kinda happened by accident."

Asher laughed, his deceptively youthful face brightening. "Really? Ya truly thinks so? Cuz I shure don't. There's so much in yer shine. I wuz watchin' you, y' know? The whole time I wuz with yer kitten. Yer just like us, a creature of sensuality. You likes to experience evrathin'."

"Mercy! You can tell all dat about me? We known each other what? An hour?"

More laughter made as Asher shake as he brought Smee to his lap, his pale white hands stroking soft purple fur. "Yer so easy. It's all in yer shine. I'll just bet ya likes ta eat, ta hears good music. Yer a dancer, a lover, not just a taker. Ya likes ta takes risks just fer the experience of 'em, you been with evra Siskan ya ever met 'cept Seth and then only cuz he belonged ta someone else."

This time it was Remy's turn to laugh. "You know all dat from jus' lookin' at my shine?"

"Shure? Cain't you read so deep? It ain't vera hard, kitten."

"Guess I never really thought about it. Seemed more like pryin'."

"Nawr. Nots ta me. Alla that knowin' helps me ta sees hows best ta deal with folks."

"D'accorde, but I prefer ta deal wit dem on deir level if I can. Seem too much like takin' advantage any other way. It ain't right."

Asher nodded thoughtfully. "Probably. Jus' that I ain't never done it fer evil. I just try ta helps as many folks as I can. I kin see things about folks, just like I could see that yer so easy ta arouse. You reacts ta everathin' around ya – sight, smell, taste. You knew when ya saw them images of Seth and Kimble what wuz goin' on. You seen it fer what it wuz, or at least what it wuz ta them."

"Is **Shemusk** real?"

Asher sighed, considering his answer. "I don't really knows. I gots no proof either way. All I know is that some of us get outta whack chemically when we's young, when the Kundatesh first starts. It ain't all of us, not even close, though it seems ta affects the ones what 're gonna be stronger later. I useta thinks it wuz just a Rogue thing, 'cept Aiden went through it, too. Now Seth? He ain't a real Rogue I don't think, so who knows? I m'self have no real memory of **Shemusk,** but I don't 'member evrathin' from when I wuz with Quishnalay."

Remy nodded again, knowing that Asher had once been melted. It was done to murder his third star and trap him in this skin. "What do you remember?"

"I remember the castle and the mountains outside the walls all covered with snow. We wuz kept separate, me and the other Rogues, from the others Quishnalay made. I never seen any other clutchmates though I seems ta know they's mine when I meets them."

"So Kimble's definitely yo' brother?"

"Oh, definitely. I 'members her well." Asher shook his head. "Kinda surprisin' ta sees her in that male skin, she wuz always female ta me."

"Kimble 'ad some trouble. Was in dat skin when he got melted de last time. It kill 'is t'ird star. He can't shift."

Asher nodded, knowing how that was all too well. "Looks like he done okay as he is."

"Aiden say 'e wuz a girl when dey met," Remy prompted, wanting Asher to give up more secrets.

Asher smiled, all too willing to oblige his new Master. "I 'members that. When she seen me after, she wuz all happy, sayin' she met someone Marked like us. Talalanay. He had a blue Mark, a Receiver."

Remy's eyes opened wide. "You knew Kimble dat well? She talk to you?"

"Well, Quishnalay mostly kept us separate, but I wuz in charge of keepin' track of alla us Rogues. You know, Regulatin' us, I guess, just like my Title says. Sometimes I gots ta speaks with them a little. Quishnalay could sense that bein' with me made the others calm, so he let me see them now and again ta keeps them company. Think it had sumpthin' ta do with my codes but I ain't never been sure. Kim wuz real gregarious, she didn't ever likes ta be alone. Wuz worse after Mishnar gots melted the first time. He cracked up real bad and was runnin' around scarin' her and everyone else."

Remy stiffened. "Quoi? What you mean 'de first time'?"

"I dunno. Quishnalay wuz experimentin' with the Rogues. Or at least he wuz at first. He wanted to see what it would takes ta breaks us I guess, and what might happen afterwards. First he frightened Simone half ta death tryin' ta shatter him --- probably why the poor feller wuz so trashed --- but Simone didn't ever break. At least not all the way then nohow."

"Simone?" Remy asked, it was the first time he'd heard the name. His mind was racing, trying to keep up with all of the information Asher was giving him. He wasn't sure he could absorb it all.

"Yeah, there wuz six of us Rogues. Me, Kim, Star, Mishnar, Simone and Kiernan."

Gambit was shaking, still buzzed and trying to quell his excitement. It was so thrilling to be with someone who had such knowledge. Here at last was the help he had needed, his prayers had finally been answered in this most unusual yet magnificent way. "Tell me about all of dem, s'il vous plait."

Asher stretched, getting comfortable as he thought over his response. "Well, Simone wuz the first to go, so I didn't gits to see too much of him. He wuz small and scared alla the time, the runt of us if ever there wuz one. He had a white Mark, real plain and hard ta see. I only seen him a couple of days, but we didn't ever speaks. I just knew he wuz there cuz his vibrations of bein' afraid were so strong. Simone wuz the first one Quishnalay tried ta break by frightenin' him half ta death."

"Scarin' a Siskan is enough to make dem break?" Remy asked before he'd had time to really think about it. At first glance, it didn't seem severe enough to shatter a Siskan.

"Oh shure. If ya pick just the right thing. Picture this, yer newly empathic with no shields or trainin' and yer Master, whom yer supposed to trust, just ups and kills some animal in front of you all nice an' slow sos you kin hear it screamin'. How would that grab you?"

Remy just shuddered. He'd long had a love for all living things, personal pets in particular. He would never be long without a cat or a dog, that was certain. He knew that no small part of that desire was his empathy with them. Their vibrations were always so pleasant and soothing, especially when they were well loved and content just as fat ol' Princess was. He didn't want to contemplate what the effect would be of him having to watch any helpless creature tortured and murdered while being unable to stop it.

Asher just nodded, seeing all of that in Gambit's shine. He didn't bother to elaborate, but continued, saying, "When scarin' Simone didn't work out the way he wanted, Quishnalay.. he went after Mishnar. Melted him a few times with a plasma gun. Mishnar broke quite nicely after that, oh yeah."

Remy nodded, trying to assimilate this information with what he already knew. "Did Quishnalay ever melt Kim? Mishnar said 'e did."

Asher listened carefully but shook his head, replying, "Nawr, no way. Quishnalay didn't ever melt Kim like that, I woulda seen it an' I seen her right up 'til the day she left with that Sheyman guy. No, Mishnar broke so violently from bein' melted so many times Quishnalay wuz too scared ta ever do it again. Well, not to us Rogues nohow. He melted some regular 'grams after that but they all wuz killed from it."

Remy shuddered at that. Sentient or not, it was still cruel. "But Mishnar said it was why y'all talk the same. All de Rogues."

Asher laughed. "Aiden told me all about that when he first come to see me. Nawr, Mishnar wuz just fuckin' with Aiden. Tryin' ta play with his head. Alla us Rogues talks the same jus' cuz we're all Rogues, that's all. Like a way of taggin' us I guess."

Remy froze. "Jus' you Rogues. No one else?"

"Yeah, why?"

Remy groaned in frustration and fell back on the grass, covering his eyes with his fists. Skye was a Rogue. When Remy had first met Skye, the shy little Siskan had spoken just like Kimble. Remy would never forget that sound, the shock it had been to hear the very same voice he had come to love coming from another Siskan. At the time, Remy had simply assumed it was a sign of damage, that someone had done terrible things to Skye, not that it had meant Skye was part of the Game at all. How could he have been so stupid? Gambit had been suspecting Skye was a Rogue, but not at the time he'd let the poor guy go. Now Asher had just confirmed his worst fears. He'd had another Rogue Siskan in his own hands and let him slip away. He couldn't stop another snarl of anger at his own stupidity.

"What?" Asher was asking, alarmed at Gambit's reaction.

"I 'ad 'im! Skye! I 'ad 'im and I let 'im go! 'E was wit de Games Master's son Darken, he'd inherited him from his dad, but 'e 'ad no Mark. Darken didn't want 'im so 'e gave 'im to me. I didn't think he was part of the game because Darken just up and gave him to me like 'e was nuthin'."

Asher just snorted. "Oh shure, like Mishnar didn't make shure that happened on his own."

Remy froze again. "Mishnar? Non, 'is name was Skye."

"Names don't mean shit. You should knows that by now, kitten. Skye, Flaylee, Toranay, Britten, Mishnar. It's all the same guy. All pieces of the same guy anyhows. He wuz given to the Games Master when he got too much fer Quishnalay to handle."

"No way, Skye was too nice to be like Mishnar."

Asher just smiled at him indulgently. "When we breaks, we becomes so many people. Ain't alla Kim's faces diff'rent? Why would it be any diff'rent with Mishnar? He seen you liked him and he gaves you a face you would be attracted to. He seen a way out. He manipulated the whole thing."

Remy sat up on his elbows and cocked his head in confusion. "Non, it was my idea to bring him home wit me."

"Don't be so sure. Mishnar's slippery, cain't be trusted. The fact that he hid his Mark only shows it. There's no way Darken didn't know what he had. He wuz manipulated inta lettin' Mishnar go or he just didn't gives a shit no more. Maybe he wuz happy just to be rid of him."

_Cain't be trusted._ Darken had said the same thing about Skye. That he didn't always play fair. It wasn't exactly right, the picture of a cruel and manipulative Mishnar with the gentle Skye he had romped with, but Remy knew deep down now they were one and the same. Gambit had blacked out during their brief encounter, but he'd had strange dreams of it afterwards, ones that always had Morrowhiem in them. Always the glitter, now a sure sign of Skye's being a Rogue. He sighed and tried to put it past him. "Don't much matter now. I left 'im with some friends in Boston, but 'e took off when Jael started gettin' all rowdy. Now I got no clue where he's at."

"Oh, he'll show up. You kin counts on it."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Cuz if there wuz ever a hatin' fer the Game, it wuz in Mishnar's eyes. His rage an' anger, it wuz already worse than Aiden's is now, and that wuz back when he wuz still with Quishnalay. I knows it's even worse than that now. You gots ta remember, I wuz there when the Games Master come to fix Aiden on Solestra. I seen Mishnar with him then. Yeah, the Games Master worked on him, but that deep black hatin' was still there inside, jus' waitin' ta comes out. I seen Mishnar good. I seen that he killed some of his clients, that he liked it. I tried ta helps him, but he wouldn't lets me come near him."

Remy shook his head. Skye had given him quite the opposite impression. Skye had been gentle and kind, sorrowful in his neglect there. It was sympathy for Skye's plight that had driven Remy to ask for him, to remove him from that place and take him somewhere better. Besides, he'd always thought that the Kundatesh couldn't lie. If Skye had deceived him, then his belief in that would be shaken.

"Don't be thinkin' now that yer power failed ya, Skye's just better n' you with it is all," Asher replied, seeming to read Remy's thoughts. "He done what he had to to move on. He wanted outta there and you offered him that way. Don't take it all personal. That wuz when? Eight years ago?" Remy nodded. "You wuz still new in yer power and Mishnar had years of experience on ya. It's like you trickin' Seth, it ain't no big deal cuz yer so powerful now."

"Still, I shoulda done sumptin'. Maybe if I was payin' better attention, I coulda done sumptin' to take dat anger away."

Asher shook his head. "Now I knows yer Siskan, always grievin' fer us. But I'll tell ya what, Mishnar's pretty stubborn. He's real strong, likes ta be in control. He wouldn't ever submits ta ya. No way."

"Where do ya t'ink he gone?"

"Don't know. But if the Game's gonna be played here, I'll just bet he'll be here when it goes down."

"Now dat's a comfort," Remy replied sarcastically. He still couldn't believe what he'd allowed to happen, but yet there was a ring of truth in Asher's words. Skye was clever and smooth, Mishnar hard and cruel. There was so much Gambit didn't know and desperately needed to. Well, maybe while Asher was here, he'd do his best to get his money's worth.

Asher saw the man's mind working. "Well, all right, kitten. Ask yer next question."

Remy laughed, warm in the sun. He took out some gum, offering a piece to Asher who accepted, and said, "I still don't see why would a Master would want to 'urt de Siskans 'e make."

Asher nodded. "Well, like I said, he thought that maybe the breakin' could make us more powerful. He wanted ta see how we would hold up, I guess. Simone wuz all cryin' and then suddenly he wuz gone, Quishnalay just up and sold him off to one of his friends."

"And de others?"

"Star wuz next ta go. She wuz real strong, another female. Orange Mark. Quishnalay sold her to a Dognan Lord and then he wuz workin' on Mishnar, a Yellow. That boy he melted at least three or four times. Like he wuz tryin' ta see how far he could go 'fore one of us just didn't ever come back. The screamin' wuz horrible," Asher's voice dropped off, his eyes growing terribly sad.

"What was Mishnar like after dat?"

"Cruel. Quishnalay took an innocent an' made a monster outta him. A bully. He kept harrassin' us that wuz left and pushin' us around. Mishnar got packed off to the Games Master pretty quick when he got too mean fer even the Master ta handle. Far as I know, he been there ever since."

Remy closed his eyes and sighed, still feeling guilty over that mess. "Tell me about Kiernan."

"Hmm...she I liked vera much. She wuz playful an' kind. A lot likes yer Kimble, but then all the girls wuz sweet. Kiernan had a Pink Mark if I remembers correctly. She wuz still all in one piece when I left. I'm guessin' she wuz the last of us Rogues to go and all I kin hopes for is that she's okay. I gits a sense that she is."

"What's dat? You can sense de others?"

"Yeah. Sometimes," Asher replied, looking suddenly sad. "It's a terrible thing, what Jael's done."

Remy nodded, thinking of all the damage the guy had caused and all the innocent lives he had taken. "Je sais, I know."

Asher shook his head. "No you don't. Not the way I means. He's killed off most of us, the Siskans. There's only about thirteen of us left. The six Rogues and seven others he's hangin' on to cuz they kin fights. His four Channelers and three Receivers."

Remy looked at him in alarm. "Scuze-moi?"

"Jael killed off alla the ones he had, Remy. Didn't Aiden tells ya?"

"Uhmmm...non?" Remy stammered, his mind racing. How could Aiden have known such a thing without telling him?

Asher absorbed this, quiet for a minute. "Maybe Aiden didn't see it. He's got such powerful visions, ya know? I'd of thought he woulda seen that, too. I 'spoze it's possible he missed it."

Gambit felt sick. "C'est impossible. Ne jemais. It can't be true. Why would Jael do sumptin' stupid like dat?"

"That ain't no hard one, Remy. Think on it. There wuz near ta sixty of us. That's an unnatural state of bein' anaways, there wuz never so many Lushna-esk at once likes that. We wuz suppozta be rare, Quishnalay upset the balance of things, makin' so many of us. Now Jael's tryin' ta puts us all in one place. He couldn't possibly keeps them all happy, he didn't ever want to. He tooks their angels and then had them destroyed. I seen it in dreams the same way Aiden sees. I thinks maybe one of the Reds got away from him somewheres else, but I cain't be sure. Her glow's real faint. But I kin still sense it so she must be alive somewheres."

Gambit sat up all the way now, trying to deny this horrible information. No way could anyone be so cruel. But yet, didn't that Siskan try to warn him, the Red he had seen back when his leg got smashed? She'd said that there were so few of them left but he hadn't understood what she meant. Her message had been too vague, unclear. The horror of the truth left him shaken, feeling vaguely nauseated.

Of all the possible outcomes of the Game, this was one that had never crossed his mind. Still, it made sense in a sick sort of way. What did he expect Jael was going to do with all of his Siskans? He'd had a hard enough time just looking after Kimble alone, never mind sixty of them. How did he expect Jael was going to cope with that? Build a giant holding pen for them all, lock them up, what?

"There ain't nuthin' to be done for it. It wuz meant ta be I guess," Asher said, his angelic adolescent face seeming to age from the pain. "I shoulda expected it, I guess. None of them assholes what set up the Games wuz ever gonna commit themselves ta us, to loves us ferever."

"Ferever no, it's just too long, long it 'tis..." Smee mumbled unhappily, sensing his Master's change in mood. "Too long forever ever is."

Remy sat there shaking, the ache in his gut increasing as the faces of Trishnar's Siskans danced before his eyes. If what Asher said was true, and he knew now that it was, they were probably all dead. Trishnar had had two Reds, so at the most, maybe one had survived.

"No, Remy. Anise and Marielle is gone."

Anger swelled up inside of Gambit at those words. No one had the right to do such a thing, no one! And it shouldn't go unpunished. They had all been so beautiful, each and every one in their way. It was murder. Pure murder -- or worse. Genocide if you consider that most of the Siskans, humans or otherwise had been wiped out by the Dognan. A strangled, tortured cry left him, his face instantly wet from tears he was trying to restrain. The horror of it was too much and he tried to turn away.

Asher's hands pulled him close in comfort, loving the way this precious human felt in his arms. It was like he belonged there. "It's all right, this loves ya feels fer us. Don't fights it, don't ever lets go of it. You feels so much fer us, and I loves ya fer it. I mean, who ever cries fer us 'cept ourselves, those of us that 're left? This is real pain fer you, I knows how much ya loved thems what was lost. It's all right ta be angry, butcha gots ta fergives, even fer that. That anger won't helps us, though maybe at the right moment you kin use it. But fer now, just let it go."

"I can't! It's too hard!" Remy gasped, his mind hurting so badly from all of this. What a treasure it had been to meet Trishnar's Siskans and romp with them. It was only now that he realized he'd been harboring a secret hope that once the Game was all over, he would see them again. Them and all of the others. Now it would never happen. All those bright shining jewels were gone, never to be seen again.

Asher shushed him, quietly rocking him now and feeding him a vibration that asked for calm. Remy began to relax when that great serenity hit him and snuffed most of the pain, easing the ache considerably. Asher continued to speak to him, "You just gots ta loves us that're left. Holds us tight an' never lets us go. We needs ya and it'll helps ta keep ya focused on what's most important."

Remy nodded as he was held, rubbing his face on his sleeve to dry his cheeks. Yeah, he could do that, why not? It's not like it was any different than what he'd always done. What was one more Siskan to add to his stable? At least Asher seemed to be in one piece.

"I am," Asher whispered, his power reading Remy's thoughts so easily. "And I'll helps ya. You ain't gotta do this alone no more. I knows lotsa things, been takin' care of Lushna-esk a long time, I'll tells ya all about it some time an' I'll share all my secrets, I promise."

Remy didn't answer, he simply relaxed and opened his mind, sharing a vibration of his gratitude. There hadn't been many who had ever offered so sincerely to help him with Kimble or Aiden, it was overwhelming to have someone offer that so freely. Asher laughed softly and gave him another squeeze.

"Oh now, ain't this cute."

Remy jerked at the sound of that rough, gravelly voice. He pulled away from Asher and sat up, trying to regain his composure. He looked up into the steel grey of Wolverine's eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

(Five)

"Brighty shine, what a brighty shiny shine!" Smee squeaked, unable to keep still in Asher's lap.

Remy was slightly nervous, Smee had gotten that one right. Logan's shine was so bright and unpredictable, he wasn't sure if the man was angry at him or not. The swirling black of agitation in Wolverine's shine was constant to the man, making interpretation more difficult.

Asher didn't care what Wolverine's shine looked like. He adjusted his Mumbler and got up to his feet with a pleasant, easygoing smile. He extended his hand in greeting. "You'd be Wolverine. I've heard so much aboutcha."

Remy almost cringed. Yeah, the majority of what Asher had learned about his teammate had come from him and mostly in the form of complaints.

Logan took the offered hand, looking Asher up and down. He smiled and leaned in a little, establishing dominance, flashing his canines as he said in an arrogant tease, "Trishnar's Serenity. Huh, thought you'd be...older."

Remy was inwardly shocked, not by the insult, but by the fact that Logan had said it. His words implied that the man had actually read Aiden's diary or at least most of it. Remy had never seen Logan with a book, not even casually. He'd sort of expected that Wolverine would have relied on a report of the diary handed to him by others, but something about the man's demeanor told him otherwise. The insult had been a test.

Asher smiled impassively, oblivious to the other's display. Their eyes were even as he replied, "Wisdom don't always come with age. More often than not, it comes from experience. Guess, you an' me, we gots that in common. Lookin' younger than we is, I mean."

"Guess Remy's been runnin' his mouth off then, you knowin' so much about me. I mean, you been here what? An hour or so?"

Asher laughed, hadn't Remy asked him that very same question? "I'm real perceptive, ya could say. Gots a way of knowin' things about folks 'fore they even speaks."

Logan crossed his arms, a smirk on his face. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. See, I seen ya comin' from the moment you stepped in through that door. You gots a lot on yer mind and it's broadcastin'. Yer worried 'bouts lots things, Kim an' m' Dreamer for one. Ta answer yer question -- yeah, Remy brought me down here and he done it without yer permission. He done it 'cause I kin fix the Siskans what're all broken up. Kim's out of his bubble and restin' quiet. He unloaded what wuz troublin' him. Aiden, too. They'll be quiet now. If they're not, I'll keep fixin' them 'til they is."

"I just came from the Lab and yeah, they're quiet. But I'm gonna need more than yer word for that. They'll need watchin'."

"Of course," Asher agreed without an ounce of ass kissing. His hands stroked his Mumbler as he went on to say, "But the Lab ain't the right place. They should be placed close ta Remy since he's so important to thems. Kim's got a place across the hall. How about that?"

"No," Logan answered without hesitation.

"May I asks ya why?" the Siskan asked with amazing politeness in the face of Logan's harsh demeanor. He was still quite neutral, neither angry nor defensive.

"Kim was there and he fucked up."

"Kim wuz there alone. He's got Aiden now. If you'll have it, I'll be there too. I'll keeps watch, that's what I do. It's my job ya might say. "

"How's that?" Logan challenged in disbelief.

Asher ran a hand down his chest, emphasizing his Mark as he said, "**Regulator**."

"Come again?"

"Regulator he is!" Smee started up. "Regulator keeps them regular. Regular they is!"

Asher laughed, rolling his eyes to say, 'Isn't he cute?'

Wolverine was not amused. He sniffed suspiciously at the Mumbler, determining that whatever it was, it was organic and not created like Asher was. He demanded, "What the fuck is that thing?"

Asher petted the creature with a disarming smile, ignoring Logan's threatening posture. "He's a Mumbler. My Angel actually, same as Kimble's gots only not a child. He don't mean no harm, he's just a little runny with his mouth is all. He don't know half the shit he says.

"As to yer question, I'm a Regulator. That's m' title same as Aiden's a Receiver. We all gots our jobs, our functions. Mine's a Regulator. Even Quishnalay knew ta use me ta keeps the others calm an' in order. I done it fer him an' I done it fer Trishnar after him. I'll do it fer you if ya gives me half a chance. Alls ya gotta do is say yes and I'll keeps m' brothers in line an' outta yer way. Let us stay at Kim's old place. You kin have yer guys outside. You kin have cameras an' security systems placed inside if ya wants, too."

Wolverine cocked his head, hearing what he hadn't even considered. "I'll think about it."

Asher bowed his head. "Fair enough. Thanks."

Logan was surprised, he had expected a more vigorous fight from the Siskan, seemed like all they did was argue. He directed his next question at Remy as though the centaur wasn't still standing there. "Where ya plannin' on puttin' him if I say no?"

" 'Adn't thought about it. 'Ad no time really," Gambit answered, trying to keep the edge from his voice. He hadn't liked Logan's rudeness. Asher was quiet, still quite unperturbed. The picture of serenity even though he'd been so obviously dissed.

Logan chewed on that a moment. "Fine. Make him swallow a tracker and bring them all ta Kim's old place. They don't go near Angel without bein' supervised by at least a whole army of guys, you understand?"

Remy was shocked almost silent. He hadn't just heard that. Wolverine giving in? No way! "Oui. Merci," he stammered lamely, trying to regain his composure.

Asher bowed his head again. Just as he he'd been passive with Logan's rudeness, he now showed no elation, just calm acceptance. "Thanks. You'll see that evrathin's gonna be fine. I'll handle the boys, you worry about whatever else ya gots to."

"No more the worry worries," Smee mumbled, almost smiling now. "Regulator makes the worry worries goes away, so he does."

"Right. Remy'll get you settled in," Wolverine agreed with surprising speed, startling the thief beyond words. Logan ignored both Smee's chatter and the bewildered look on Gambit's face, but pulled Remy quickly aside. "You hear about Creed?"

_Ah, that was it,_ Remy thought to himself, explaining Wolverine's easy capitulation. Logan was distracted by a much more pressing matter at hand than where the Siskans were going to sleep. Remy wasn't about to complain. "Oui, 'Enry say somebody took 'im."

"Yeah. I got some ideas about who it might be, but I ain't ready to announce anything just yet," Logan replied, keeping cautious. He wasn't about to get the place into an uproar and have folks stampeding out of here, fearful for their lives. He didn't know the identity of the thief, but knew it was the same as Jennah's killer, enough to worry him greatly. "The senior staff is on a silent Code Red but the rest of the place is on Yellow just to make sure nobody wanders. Somebody just walked right in here and walked right out with nobody seein' 'em, I can't figure it."

"P'etetre dey still 'ere, somewhere inside?"

Logan shook his head. "I don't think so. Just a feelin' I got."

Remy nodded. Most of Logan's feelings bore fruit and it wasn't wise to question them. " 'Enry say dere was gonna be a meeting?"

"Yeah, maybe in an hour or so. Dump yer friend off and make sure yer there. Got that?"

"Absolument."

Logan nodded at that and left, not looking back.

Now alone with Asher, Remy couldn't help but say, "Dat was some kinda charm you work on de old man, fils. I been tryin' fo' days to get him to say yes to Aiden an' Kim an' you did it in less dan a minute!"

Asher simply smiled at him. "Yer man reacts ta emotion. Deny him that and he just ain't got no clue. I seen he's a feral. Seen his nostrils flare at me, the crease of his brow when he didn't git no scent. Poor guy. Anaways, the best way ta handle ferals is ta be passive. Not submissive, mind ya. _**Passive**._ Unnerstand?"

Remy shook his head, smiling now himself. "Guess I'll have to take your word for it. Merci. Let's get you settled in, neh? You sure 'ad a lot of boxes. Hope dere's good stuff in dere."

"Oh, there is. An' I'll shares it all witcha. Come on let's go."

Smee was happy, too. "Let's go!"

----------------------------------

Remy led Asher to Kimble's apartment. Asher's possessions hadn't been moved there just yet, somewhat disappointing, but they knew they were coming. Already Remy had placed a call to Fallen and she said she would be moving Asher's crates down momentarily.

"Sorry none of yo' stuff is 'ere yet," Remy said. "It's kinda like stayin' at a stranger's house wit nuthin' of yo' own."

" 'S all right. Gots what I need most right here," Asher replied, sliding off his shoulder bag and setting it on the table. He emptied it and Remy couldn't help but notice the worn and tattered Bible.

The thief pawed at it with a playful smile. "Dey got Jehovah's Witnesses on Solestra? Guess dey got some pull wit de Big Man."

Asher laughed. "No, no Witnesses, not just yet anaways. Trishnar gaves me that. He wuz always givin' me books. This one came... an' stayed."

Remy laughed, still smiling. "Now dat is one t'ing I never expected to see. A Christian Siskan." He paused, musing. "Dragged Kimble t'rough catechism back at de Mansion, him and Angel. T'ought it would be good for dem. Angel's stuck with it but Kimble 'ave a 'ard, 'ard time. Got hung up on de rules. Said 'e never felt he could be good enough for God."

"Which rules wuz that?" Asher asked, a knowing smile on his face.

Remy's red eyes gleamed in answer. "Kimble won't give up his men."

Asher laughed. "Never quite understood that rule m'self. Figgered it come about since yer race is so young, on this planet at least. I kin sees where it might be hard fer some folks ta give up what theys love. Fer a Siskan, it's even harder. Jus' gotta change yer way of thinkin' is all, be bendy with yer ways."

Remy laughed. "Bendy?"

"Shure. See, lots of folks that don't run straight try ta hides it. They run all secret, never stayin' with anaone fer long. That's where the hurtin' starts, the breakin' of other bondin's, screwin' around where ya don't belong. Monogamy is the answer."

"Really?"

Asher laughed at the tease in Gambit's voice. "Shure. See, when ya pair bonds, ya feels love like you just cain't feel nowheres else. When ya bonds, ya feels greater love. That greater love brings ya closer ta God. Yer world is a strange one, most other places don't put so much emphasis on the gender, only on the bondin'. It's like a compromise. Monogamy ends the risk of hurtin' other people. You bond, ya bonds fer life. End of story. No more screwin' around with thems what don'ts belongs to ya. It's just safer and better that way. That whole thing with Kim an' Seth is a prime example. Seth coulda been handled without the fuckin', but they chose a different path. One that ended up in disaster."

"So Set' coulda been done without de sex?" Remy asked, knowing the answer already. He just wanted to know what Asher would say about it.

"Absolutely. Aiden coulda sparked him with the Morrowhiem with his Mistress in place so she could see what the Morrowhiem wuz. That it ain't nuthin' ta be feared. Then all the parties woulda gone home happy. Sex isn't always the answer to our problems -- or to a Siskan in trouble."

How well the thief knew the answer to that though it had taken him a while to learn it. "Sounds wise enough. But what about you? You alone."

Asher smiled then a little ironically. "The words always come easy fer me, easier than the deeds. It's easy fer me ta speaks of bondin' and curbin' our playful ways. Course it wuz easier fer me, bein' that the choice wuz taken away from me by others. Celibacy and monogamy are hard enough fer a Siskan ta learns... but not impossible, if the will is strong enough. Just that a Siskan's gots ta decide what runs him -- his codes or his own heart. Guess we Lushna-esk git tested more than others is all."

"Dat what dis is for you? A test?" Remy asked gently, gesturing to Asher's skin.

Asher's blue eyes showed a measure of sadness. "It wuz a just punishment."

Remy startled a bit at that. "Punishment? For what?"

"Fer adultery, plain an' simple. I come between a Master and his wife. Shoulda known better, but I let it git outta hand. This wuz a just punishment. I come to terms with it, an' I accepted what God done fer me. He humbled me and now I got set on the right path. Instead of wastin' my time on pleasures that hurts other people, I helps them now in other ways. It's been far more rewardin', just like them Gospels said it would be."

Remy shook his head slightly, not exactly in agreement, but he wasn't about to argue. If that was how Asher dealt with the situation and it worked out fine for him, who was he to challenge it? "It take you a long time to understand de Book?"

Asher brightened a little at the question. "Not really. Maybe yer Old Testament wuz a little too bloody fer my tastes, but it wuz yer Jesus that helped me most. All them nice things he wuz saying 'bout fergiveness and being kind ta other folks. Sayin' how we wuz all the same, no one person better than the next. We's all good, we's all able ta saves ourselves. It made me feel better when I wuz hurtin' so bad from bein' stuck like this. Found out there wuzn't no profit in bein' pissed off. Found I could still feel pleasure. The kind that comes from helpin' people. It's better'n being with clients. More lastin'."

Remy smiled, being able to identify with that. He knew there were many who questioned why he put up with Kimble's madness for so long. It was because just one of Kimble's smiles made it worthwhile. Seeing that bright burst of happiness, the bright blue of his shine.

"So you really believe in God?"

"Shure. The human Siskans used ta believe in Spirits that created evrathin'. 'S all the same really. I read many books like this from many worlds, but they all pretty much say the same thing. One God created us, gave us free will and then gave us lots of messages about how to behave. Too bad not so many folks chose ta listen. If more folks obeyed the rules of their own creeds, there wouldn't ever be no war, no Games."

"Too true."

Asher smiled ironically. "Funny thing, our God."

"What's that?"

"How he sends people. Y'all got yer Jesus. On Solestra there was Yesher and on Siska there was Yerhannon. Like He had a mission in sendin' the Word out ta folks. Either that or you humans got some kinda Son of God complex that springs outta yer brains. Guess if that wuz a sickness inherent to yer race, it could be a lot worse. Not a one of them ever started a war, only tried ta stops it from ever happ'nin' again." Asher's slate blue eyes flicked up at the thief. "Speakin' of which. What y'all plannin' ta do 'bout Jael?"

Remy sighed, this would always be an unsettling topic. "Got a lot of trainin' goin' on, some battle plans bein' drawn up. We loadin' up on our defenses. Doin' what we can." Remy paused when he saw a ripple of agitation swirl through the normally placid centaur's shine. "Why you askin'?"

"Yer gonna fights him, then?"

Gambit crossed his arms defensively. "You got another idea?"

Asher shook his head and took a breath, smoothing out. " 'S just that there's gots ta be another way 'cept fightin's."

"Sometimes there just isn't one, cher. Just how it is."

"Jesus says we shouldn't ever fight or kill."

"Dat may be so, but I don't t'ink Jael gonna run if we just offer up de other cheek. 'E ain't dat kind of guy."

Asher nodded. "Maybe so, guess I'll haves ta meditates on it. Maybe I kin come ups with sumpthin."

Remy just smiled at him indulgently. "Knock y'self out. I'd be de firs' one ready to listen, you figure it out."

-----------------------

Remy stood outside Kimble's holding cell, watching as the two doped out Siskans inside began to slowly wake. It had been a few hours since he had left Kimble and Aiden as they slept, hours that hadn't gone by too quickly.

A good chunk of that time had been spent in a seemingly endless boring meeting. It had been an important one, really. Nobody was certain where Sabretooth had gone or who might have taken him. It appeared as though someone had simply spirited him away. In spite of the elaborate camera system in place at Logan's Security station, none of the cameras had been able to provide a clear image of Kristalay's escape. All anyone could make out was that a separate individual had indeed come to Kristalay's holding cell and somehow convinced him to walk away from it. It hadn't been hard to see the coercion. In spite of the bad image, they had seen Kristalay go down on his knees as if drugged, place something that looked suspiciously like a collar around his neck, and then walk out when the door had been opened.

Logan was abnormally quiet as the meeting proceeded. He wouldn't look at any of the playbacks as they were reviewed to the group. One look at his shine told Remy that the man felt responsible for his half brother's disappearance. It was his Security area, his Security cell. There was a strange stillness to him when Wolverine stood up to offer his suspicions that Jennah's killer was the same man who might be the blurred image on the camera tapes. Logan explained about the bare footprints. He had photos taken and then lifts made. Lifts that matched the impressions he'd had made at the campsite of the vagrants.

"If that is so, why then do you think Jerry wasn't killed right away?" Warren had asked. As team leader for the whole facility, Warren was especially concerned about everyone's safety. The idea that someone just waltzed in and out was alarming.

Logan had shrugged, his eyes down. " 'Cause he didn't come here for food. He came for Creed."

Warren squinted. "How can you be sure?"

"I can't. It's just a feelin', that's all."

"We can't make security decisions based on feelings, Logan," Warren said, his longtime rivalry with Wolverine all too apparent in his tone.

"So don't," Wolverine replied testily. "You can sit back while that sick fuck waltzes in here again and takes someone else. Meanwhile, I got a man to bury."

Logan hadn't taken Jerry's death well. Bad enough his half brother was stolen, but he'd lost one of his best men. A man taken without a fight, an insult. The death had been slow, but painless. Jerry just sunk deeper and deeper into a coma until he'd just slowly shut down and died. Henry was still doing tests, but the good doctor hadn't yet been able to identify the poison that had been used to incapacitate poor Jerry like that. He couldn't even tell how the agent had been delivered.

Warren made a noise and looked away, irritated. "We have to increase the badge system. Anything to keep outsiders from getting in."

Remy had kind of blanked out after that, most of the conversation turning to technical matters he'd had no interest in. He looked over the group, focusing on the blandness in Logan's shine. If he didn't know better – and he didn't – he might even think Logan was actually worried about his brother, an odd thing. Like Sabretooth wouldn't get anything he didn't deserve.

Remy came back to the here and now when he heard Kimble stop his gentle snoring with a snort and shift, bumping Aiden slightly. It was enough to wake the Dreamer, he opened his eyes, blinking. Remy looked on with a smile of relief and no small amount of amusement as they gradually became more awake and gently twisted around one another, kissing without much noise but with eager and loving gestures. Neither one bothered to look up to see if they were being observed, all they were interested in was each other.

Aiden's need was greater and he lay Kimble down, laying over him and dumping the blankets off and away. Kimble was noticeably shaking, tears already starting to leak from his eyes before Aiden calmed and gently shushed him, palming his cheeks and wiping them clear with his thumbs. "What, my preciousz?"

"I missed ya so bad."

Aiden kissed him again, slowly and with great love. "And I you. You should've waited for me before you 'ide away. Let me szpeak to you."

"I'm sorry," Kimble whispered softly, his eyes closing.

"What 'appen, you? Why you 'ide away?"

Kimble shuddered with emotion, but was once more soothed by Aiden's loving hands. "I gots scared. Then I gots mad... and then ...and then I jus' felt nuthin' at all."

Aiden's lips brushed Kimble's own. "You should 'ave told me disz. I could 'ave 'elped you."

"I'm sorry."

"It isz okay, szo long asz you liszten now, eh?"

Kimble opened his eyes and looked into those of his lover, the image blurred with tears. Again Aiden cleared his face and softly spoke, his lips close to Kimble's own. "All we 'ave isz each o'der, eh? You an' me. Toge'der we szave ourszelvesz, szave your Anjel. Alone we cannot do disz. Alone, we break like szo much glassz. Alwaysz you muszt talk to me, not run away. Alwaysz I am 'ere for you, me. Don' leave me again, pleasze. Not like zat."

Kimble closed his eyes on more tears. He felt very fragile, but safe and warm here in Aiden's embrace. "I won't."

"I love you, Keemble," Aiden said, Morrowhiem wisping off of his hands at the words. "Alwaysz you and I will be toge'der."

Kimble shuddered and moaned, his body soaking up the glitter like a dry sponge. "Keeps me!"

"But of coursze."

Aiden laughed a little, the pain in his shine evaporating as he began to kiss Kimble with more enthusiasm. He only glanced up once as Remy came to the door and wordlessly activated the privacy screen, making it so no one could see inside and watch them. Of course Aiden had known the thief was lurking just outside, it would have been more odd for that protective spirit not to be. Remy had clicked the switch and then left, leaving them alone.

Kimble shuddered and surrendered himself to Aiden's care without noting the activity outside his door. He was focused solely on his lover, on this Siskan who would be his Master, his caretaker. Kimble felt shaky and barely held together, not unlike the way he had felt after the Games Master had worked on him all those years ago. Even so, what Asher had done didn't even feel as permanent as what Darken had done. The voices were still there, just deeply muted, with the promise of returning if given a proper excuse. Kimble didn't want to hear them, he wanted only to be kept small and held, to be protected in the arms of one who would never leave him. Aiden was just that one.

They moved as one, these two, and were shed of their clothes and all other worldly cares. They became melded together, boded on levels that they had never reached before. Kimble's capitulation had never been so complete, not as it was now, after he'd gone down so far only to surface where the Dreamer was. His rock. His foundation.

Later, when the loveplay had finished, Kimble fell asleep once more, this time with a smile of serenity, a gift from his lover. Kimble had dropped off quickly enough, but Aiden didn't. He lay with the pilot in his arms, stroking that bright white face, loving every inch of skin on it. Kimble had been returned to him, a present for which some mighty deep thanks were in order for. Well, he wouldn't wait too long for that. Aiden lay Kimble down and covered him carefully before dressing and slipping out, looking for Asher.


	6. Chapter 6

(Six)

Asher was currently located in the large communal shower of the level four's gymnasium. It was late now, close to midnight and he was alone and enjoying some privacy. It was a bit awkward doing normal things while being in this skin, he had learned that it was best to do these things in private where it would make others less nervous, especially being here in this strange new environment. He didn't know how well he would be accepted. Besides that, this skin made him larger and longer than a normal human. There was no way he was going to fit in Kimble's bathroom, no matter how generous his quarters had been. It wasn't the first time he found himself in such circumstances and so he had learned to adapt to his condition, learning ways around it. He stood now in the large open shower, hogging up two of the showerheads, being gluttonous with the water and soap. He was Siskan, how could he not be in soap and hot water up to his ears?

His Mumbler was at his feet, playing in the sprinkles made by his Master and rolling in the soap suds, looking for all the world like a drowned rat.

While he was enjoying the deep pleasure of unlimited hot water and soap, Asher was also pondering his new situation. Wow, what a change in place. He trusted Trishnar's judgement in the decision to hand him over to this Remy LeBeau, but yet couldn't help but wonder what his former Master had gotten him into. He liked Remy well enough, sensed no ill will in him, but he had noted Remy's inexperience as far as being a Siskan Master went. There seemed to be some reluctance in Gambit to put his foot down and get both Aiden and Kimble in line. There seemed too much free will in the boys, things that had clearly led to some trouble. A Master had to be firmly in control, his orders obeyed without question. It was too easy for Remy to be run over, running a harem was not a matter of democracy, not if you wanted to maintain control and order.

Of this Asher was well learned.

Asher had not always looked like this, once he'd had a normal human skin like most of his kin. He'd been sold by Quishnalay to a cousin, a man who had harems of Siskans and humans alike that functioned as a glorified whorehouse, just as Quishnalay's did. Asher had been in heaven. This Master, Perinius, had been more than kind and cared for all of his charges well. Well, as long as they kept their affections far from his wife, Trinia.

Trinia and Asher had crossed paths as part of the household and the attraction that had sparked between them had been swift and all consuming. They met in secret and as often as they could. Trinia had professed her love for him and he'd been swept away by it, his childish Siskan mind never considering the ramifications of such an ill advised relationship.

It hadn't taken long for them to be found out and Perinius' retribution was swift and final. He used Asher's encoded sense of obedience to force the Siskan into his present, nearly useless skin and then melted him. It had been done deliberately to cause the destruction of his third star, but one side effect was Asher's new ability to charge in the sun. Not that that brought the poor Siskan any comfort. It was a testament to Asher's will that he did not break, his personality remained intact. But his fate had been sealed, his sentence delivered.

Asher was then permanently assigned to the reclusive position of regulating Perinius' Siskan harem, a job that kept him well away from the human staff and Perinius' wife. Asher didn't fight it, he could have been destroyed and even here, he was still well cared for.

Asher ached for his precious Trinia, but this woman who supposedly professed such an all encompassing love for him never showed her face. Later, they had passed by one another by chance, and she nearly shuddered with revulsion at the skin he'd been forced into, revealing what a false and empty love hers had been.

Asher had been devastated. He was lonely at first, but then warmed up to his new job. A small population of Perinius' Siskan harem were Lushna-esk as he was and he was soon busy, helping them deal with the various episodes in their sheltered yet sometimes turbulent lives. None of them were interested in him for play, his skin simply didn't allow for it. That and he had been properly humiliated, all desire for play had been melted right out of him, he couldn't imagine anyone wanting him in this skin and so shut that part of him down forever.

Asher went through a phase of mourning for his Siskan self and had several bouts of self loathing, but his stronger inner spirit didn't allow for it to last long. Instead he turned his attention to herding the harem and soon rediscovered his talent for solving their problems and keeping them in line. He developed his powers and on one stormy occasion learned what he could do with that Morrowhiem. The Morrowhiem he'd possessed even as Quishnalay had sold him, it was part of his Regulator status, but he'd never been trained to use it. One of Perinius' Siskans had a major meltdown and he'd rushed to her aid, using this gift almost without thinking about it. The ability to ignite the Morrowhiem had come to him only from having been melted, and he acted on it simply by instinct, no one had showed him how to do that. When he saw the way it helped those in distress, it became his primary tool in recovering those who were breaking down. It earned him Perinius' continued favor and he was left alone, not punished in any way further for his crime.

Learning his powers had gone a long way to keeping Asher steady and the fact that he was useful even without play had him operating pretty well. It was a good thing, this time of pleasant days and nights wasn't to last. It was inevitable that the Game would reach Perinius and it came in the form of slaughter and bloodletting. A newcomer to the Game, Lucian, attacked Perinius with the sole purpose of collecting Asher. Lucian was Dognan royalty and came at Perinius with all of that power and might.

Lucian destroyed the whole house and everyone in it, only to discover his precious Rogue was a freak. He had no clue what to do with creature that was too much of an animal not to be seen as one. The only way this Siskan could service him was orally and even then, the sight of that huge body did nothing for him. **At all**. In disgust, Lucian dumped him onto the black market for a quick sale, not caring that Asher's angel had not yet been found.

Well, Lucian's loss was Trishnar's gain.

Like Jael, the Dognan King always had lookouts in the markets, hoping that someone as foolish as Lucian would dump a Siskan there. Asher wasn't even there a day before he was snatched up and brought before the King, a Master who would welcome him just as he was.

Like a fairy tale rescue, the two of them got along famously. Trishnar had access to several harems of diverse natures, he did not need Asher's services as a Courtesan and never pressured the Siskan for play, especially when it became clear that the very notion of service disturbed Asher greatly. Asher was strong in spirit but that didn't mean he didn't cringe at every glance in the mirror.

Trishnar indulged Asher in every way, giving him a wide range of amusements. It didn't take long to see Asher had a love affair with books and learning. Trishnar dumped whole libraries of books on him, building him shelves for those Asher would keep and moving along those he didn't. The Bible had come early and when Trishnar saw how positively Asher had reacted to the strange religion, did nothing to fight it. Instead, he passed along whatever Christian material he could find, all to the betterment of his friend. Through his faith, Asher rediscovered himself and the time of self pity was over for good.

Trishnar passed along more than Bibles. All manner of scientific equipment was provided to expand Asher's mind and the Siskan wasted no time in learning as much about himself as he could. Asher experimented on himself, discovering which foods and substances made him feel better, devising a sort of pharmacy and keeping copious amounts of notes on what he had learned.

It came in handy. Trishnar would occasionally send along a damaged 'gram for Asher to work on. It was a great way for the King to buy favors from friends, but it also gave Asher a welcome distraction. Asher loved to help others and this outlet only fueled that drive. Asher's ability to ease the troubled Lushna-esk of the world was a benefit to all and firmly established when Babette and Aiden came along. Babette had been little trouble, but Aiden on the other hand...

The Dreamer had been in terrible pain and of course latched onto Asher quickly, seeing him as a lifesaver in the middle of an ocean. It had been hard to keep Aiden's desire for him in check. It was common among Lushna-esk to confuse friendship with real love. Asher wanted to help Aiden, but would never allow anyone to fall in love with him again. It had been painful, but he'd managed to keep the Dreamer at bay. Babette had helped with that of course and the rest was history.

Asher was pleased that Aiden had found his long lost Kimble. He wished the road there had been a little smoother, but they all had Remy to thank for what little small pieces of sanity they had left. Asher sensed a lot of Trishnar in his young new Master. Both wanted to keep the Game as far away as possible, both cared very deeply for his well being. It would go a long way towards helping him ease into this new place, Asher knew that.

This was a large place and a far cry from the peaceful barn Asher had lived in at Solestra. It was filled with strange people, not a pair of them alike. He knew no one really, it had been years since he and Aiden had spent any decent amount of time together. He was in for some serious changes that was no doubt.

His was an awkward situation, his body was bulky and large. It didn't fit into the same spaces everyone else used. The hallways were decent enough, but he had a hard time moving around in Kimble's humble apartment. He certainly couldn't use any of Kimble's furniture. This was not going to be the easiest of transitions. Well, at least he wasn't alone. Asher couldn't hide the smile when he noted a happy blue shimmer in the doorway, he had some company.

Smee shook his soap laden fur and blinked in playful curiosity when he saw that he and his Master were no longer alone. "Blue! The bluey blue one it is!"

"Sumpthin's I kin do fer ya, Dreamer?" Asher asked playfully, smiling at his visitor. It was a few hours since he had left the two Siskans and Aiden looked pleasantly rumpled and sleepy from the Morrowhiem induced stupor Asher had put him in. Asher knew his power knocked Siskans out for a while, though Aiden was somewhat resistant to its strength. Aiden had conked out so deeply more from the pure mental exhaustion of the past few days than a blackout, he had needed the rest and even now couldn't have been awake for long.

"I aszk where you were, dey szay you come in 'ere to wash," Aiden replied, jerking his thumb towards the front of the locker room where the inevitable guards had gathered, each Siskan had his own. They came no closer, these guards, they chose to hang out with each other knowing there was nowhere for their charges to go. There was only one exit from the locker room.

Asher nodded. "Yeah, well. When ya looks kinda funny as I do, it's better if ya choose yer timin' well. This late, there ain't no one here fer me ta spook."

Aiden tossed his head arrogantly and looked off to one side with a smile of impatience. As pretty and vain as he was, he'd never had any such problems and simply couldn't relate. Plus, he'd always found Asher to be quite handsome in spite of his youthful looks, something that had not changed with the passage of time. It disturbed Aiden that his friend would feel that he appeared to be anything less than magnificent.

Asher regarded him with patient curiosity, unsure what the Dreamer was about. "I'm guessin' ya didn't wakes up in the middle of the night jus' ta wash m' back."

Aiden's smile changed, becoming much more mischievous. "Don' be szo sure."

Asher watched as Aiden began to strip down, slowly undressing like the highest paid, most tantalizing gigolo and tossing his clothes aside without a care. "Aiden," Asher cautioned warily, holding up a hand. "I ain't gots time fer no games."

"Aiden will be good," the Dreamer promised, his pale green eyes twinkling.

The centaur laughed at him in wry amusement but didn't argue further, he understood Aiden all too well. The Dreamer had a flair for the dramatic and wasn't happy unless he was the center of attention. He knew that Aiden hadn't come specifically for play, there was something on his mind and he was stalling, or simply doing this for fun. Plus he could read well enough that the Dreamer had just shared with Kimble when they had awakened, there was nothing obvious to be concerned about. Yet. Patiently, Asher waited until his brother came close.

Aiden walked carefully around the tiny Mumbler at his feet and grabbed a spare bar of soap from a nearby dish. He lathered his hands, the smile never losing an ounce of wattage. He then moved to Asher's side and began to spread soap over his long pony's back, digging his fingernails into Asher's soft velvety pelt.

Asher's eyes closed with pleasure and he shuddered, he couldn't help it. It was rare that he was touched by another and no amount of personal restraint was going to keep him from allowing this. His hoofed feet were spread wide for balance on the white tiled floor, he wouldn't fall, not even from this. He'd heard Aiden's little verbal tease, but he compartmentalized it, he wouldn't allow it to interfere with this momentary ecstasy, not just yet.

Aiden watched Asher's response with genuine pride, pleased with himself. He scrubbed vigorously, knowing his friend would enjoy it even more. "I wanted to t'ank you for helpin' usz. Me and Keemble."

"You don' ever hafta say nuthin'. It wuz m' pleasure."

"I know, but when wasz ze laszt time anyone ever tell you dey appreciate anyt'ing you do?"

Asher sniffed, suddenly mournful. "Trishnar did. He tol' me every day that he loved me, that he appreciated me bein' around. He wuz a good Master, Dreamer. I knows it's hard fer yous ta understand that. But it's true."

Aiden had stiffened, unsure of what to feel. "I know 'e meant well."

"It's just that ya couldn't abide the thought of someone ownin' you. I knows it, Dreamer. I didn't say it ta makes ya sad. I wuz just bein' honest is all."

Aiden nodded and resumed his lathering, making sure to get all those places Asher couldn't reach. Asher had never allowed him even this bit of intimacy before so he was eager to please, to make Asher happy for permitting it.

Asher's voice was steady as he continued, "They came and tooks Trishnar's body back ta Solestra. They buried him in the gardens there right after I left, but they lets me watch it from away. They had a real nice ceremony. It wuz beautiful."

"Good. 'E will be 'appy dere," Aiden replied, meaning it. Solestra had been beautiful, Trishnar's most expensive garden in New Orleans hadn't come close to that lush and tropical place. Aiden shifted Asher gently, moving him back a step to better rinse the lather from his body. He used his hands to slick the water back, normal movements for this endeavor, but couldn't keep from touching more than he should have been, from stroking with great affection... and desire. When Asher looked back at him, a small frown on his lips, Aiden tried to speak. "Ashair... zere isz szo much I would like to do for you. To t'ank you for all you've done ---"

Asher cut him off, raising a hand to touch Aiden's lips, to stop that traitorous mouth from making this any worse. Whatever Aiden had promised previously, his intentions now were clear enough. "Ya cain't, Dreamer. Not that way."

"But why? You know I love you, me. No one 'asz ever undersztood me like ze way you do. What you do, it isz a gift. I know it 'urtsz you just a leetle each time. You feel what we feel at dat moment of pure blissz, you come szo cloze to 'aving what we 'ave, but you never quite finish for yourszelf. 'Ow can I let you give an' give of yourszelf disz way wit'out giving szomet'ing in return?"

"It's all right, Aiden. I made m' peace with it a long time ago," Asher replied, doing his best to reassure though he knew it was impossible to make the Dreamer understand. Aiden had been broken in so many ways, it made his mind small, unable to grasp anything beyond himself.

Asher was correct, Aiden did not believe. He couldn't possibly imagine a Siskan feeling complete without any kind of sexual release. Asher was lying, he was certain of it. "Isz it becausze you care what zesze **Chuckfet** might t'ink of usz? Of you?"

Asher sighed in frustration, seeing he had gotten nowhere. He didn't want to go around like this, but yet was compelled to try anyway to make Aiden understand. "No, it ain't that. I've worked real hard ta put alla that behind me, okay? I'm not a Courtesan, Aiden. I toldja this so many times already. I cain't never be again."

Aiden's face crinkled in confusion, stubbornly refusing to grasp the concept. He reached out and tried to answer what he felt must be Asher's fear. "It mattersz not disz skin you wear. Wit our power, wit our Morrowhiem combined, you can feel dat love ze way we do. It doesz not matter, what your body cannot do on itsz own."

Asher sighed in rising irritation, trying to control his frustration. Oh, they'd argued like this before back on Solestra and he'd been forced to always hold Aiden at arm's length, keeping him safely away. This was the reason they had never been intimate even when he supposed that Aiden was correct about their power combining to send him to climax. But what did that momentary sensation matter when all they would do is argue forever afterwards? Aiden's stubbornness could never survive his own hard won detachment. They loved each other very much and yet could only endure each other's presence for a matter of minutes without a quarrel. Aiden was too demanding, he needed someone he could control, and Asher was far too independent for that.

More than that, Asher knew Aiden was a Receiver and this left him vulnerable to anyone who could control forces of energy. Aiden was attracted to him and Kimble both because on some level, he sensed the great levels of energy both could give off, especially at a time of climax. Asher had refused Aiden before, so in reality, the Dreamer simply found himself another Rogue in Kimble. That great transfer of energy during intimacy was an irresistible draw, it felt good to Aiden when he "received" it, and like most humans who became enthralled by the Kundatesh, Aiden could be drawn and enslaved by that magic. He might feel that energy come in and confuse the rapture with love. It was no different that Kimble's draw to plasma producers and just as dangerous. Asher was fully aware that the lovers Aiden loved best were those of his own kind. This exchange of energy was the reason why.

Asher thought hard of how to say all this in some way the Dreamer would comprehend, but it was simply impossible.

Aiden misunderstood Asher's thoughtfulness as a minor capitulation. He went into action, eager to claim his prize, pushing against Asher, his hands roaming far too much. "You t'ink Aiden doesz not undersztand? Many year 'e go, bein' somet'ing elsze but what 'e wasz. Big fighter, not uszed for pleaszure. It wasz no life, Ashair! We did not know 'ow dead we were until Tillamay reminded usz!"

Asher pulled back as gently as he could while being firm on the matter, shutting off the showers as he retreated. He grabbed a towel and slung it over his shoulders, retreating even further to scoop up the drenched Mumbler from the floor, wrapping him up in a hand towel as well.

Oh, this was hard, so very hard. Asher wasn't sure what was worse, the immediate temptation of Aiden's naked body glistening wickedly from the shower, or the fact that Aiden had referred to himself in the plural, unexpected and always troubling ."You think everathin' is about sex when it ain't, Dreamer."

"But disz isz who we are!" Aiden insisted, wounded.

"You ever stops ta think maybe the programmers got it wrong? Sex ain't all there is. It ain't all we is or all we haves to shares between ourselves. You kin relearns and recreates yerself if only you wuz brave enough ta try."

Aiden's face was all confusion. He couldn't possibly relate to what Asher had just said. Aiden's whole life had been about sex one way or another and it was intimacy that brought him his only happiness. "What did zey do to you?" he couldn't help but ask. Asher must have been damaged far more deeply than just losing his ability to shift, it was the only explanation for this madness Asher was speaking.

Asher sighed in frustration, seeing all that. "You only see one way fer livin' and if whatcha sees around ya, you fights it. You challenge everathin', Dreamer, good or bad, an' what does that makes ya? Not much more 'n a bully what pushes so damn hard. Yer gonna shoves evraone away by not even tryin' ta understand someone else's point of view and in the end, simply burns yerself out. For what? For nuthin' that really matters." Asher sighed and tried to soften his tone, to ease the hurt of what he was saying. Already he could see the flush in Aiden's face as the Dreamer tried to control the rising tide of his emotions. "Understand, what's good fer you ain't always so good for someone else. You cain't always go around tryin' ta change folks what cain't be changed. It ain't fair and it ain't right to thems or yerself. You'll burn yerself out with alla this endless fightin'. Read some books, looks at people, and jus' try ta undersands them all a little better."

Aiden snorted and shook his head, overloaded by all these words. It was the same old arguments, the same old things he never understood. It was just so painful standing here and having to hear it all over again after all this time. All he had wanted to do was come here and give something back to Asher and this was the only way he knew how.

Asher knew it, seeing all of this so clearly. His tone was gentle as he added, "Fergits about me, okay? I appreciate yer thanks, but I don't needs yer pity. I git enough rewards helpin' people. It's enough fer me."

Aiden blinked his eyes on tears that wanted so desperately to fall. His throat was already hurting and sore as he rasped, "I 'ave love for you, Ashair, alwaysz, but no pity. Never pity."

Asher's grey eyes squinted a bit in frustration, but his tone was gentle as he argued, "Liar. You feels bad fer me cuz I cain't fuck. You ain't never understood that there's so much more out there than that. I had ta learns it the hard way. But that's okay. I understand that yer — limited — in yer point of view. So think on this, kitten. You an' Kimble gots somethin' good, ya really do. Ain't ya learned nuthin' from what just happened with Kimble an' his brother? Seth's **Shemusk** coulda been handled just fine without the sex and you knows it! He coulda been broken free in the presence of his Mistress with the Morrowhiem alone and there wouldn't of been no trouble with Kimble or with anaone else! Learn from that mistake! You wants ta keeps the peace? Ya stays with yer Kimble and no one else! Adultery is a sin fer a good reason!"

"Keemble isz not **Chuckfet**. He will undersztand if we play, you an' me," Aiden insisted, still not getting it. Having been raised in an environment where nothing was forbidden, the words 'sin' and 'adultery' meant nothing to him. His mind rejected them as stupid and simply moved on to examining the shine of the man in front of him. Asher was fighting him, but there was enough red in his shine to tell him he was aroused. "Keemble love to play wit Babette. 'E love 'er asz much asz me. Keemble... 'e 'appy when dere isz more to love, more to play wit. If I aszked 'im to come now to play wit you, wit usz, 'e would kill 'imszelf rushin' down ze stairsz to get 'ere. Zere wasz never a problem wit fidelity. Only wit Szet'sz Misztressz. Dat problem doesz not exiszt wit you."

Asher shook his head in frustration, real anger finally slipping past his defenses. "Yer not listenin'. You ain't hearin' one word I'm sayin'. Look at me! I already paid the price fer comin' in between two lovers, I won't pay that price again!"

Aiden stepped back, his head tilting in bewilderment. He was wounded deeply by Asher's admission of pain and didn't understand. "I would never 'urt you. Not zat way." His voice was a sharp whisper echoing in the tiled room.

Asher scrubbed the towel through his hair, panting now as he tried to restore his sense of calm. "I cain't lets m'self even think about it, Dreamer," he said, lowering his voice. "It... it tooks me a long time ta kills that part of me. I made the choice ta puts m'self inta a state of grace, ta put alla them sins I done behind me. I... I cain't let the Courtesan I was wakes up, it's too dangerous. Sex'll be all I thinks abouta and it just ain't worth the risk of losin' the peace I worked so hard ta finds. It's the only thing that kept me from breakin', kin ya understands that at least?"

Aiden softened, the smile quick to return as some glimmer of understanding awakened. "Of course, Ashair. I am 'ere, preciousz. For you, alwaysz."

Asher smiled in return, but took another step towards the door, his hooves loud on the tiles now that the water was off. "I knows ya means well, I really do. You wants ta thanks me? Really thanks me? Stay with yer Kimble and loves him with alla yer heart an' soul. We were created by sinners for the purposes of sin, but that don't means we cain't rise above it and becomes sumpthin' better. If you don't commits ta him an' him only, he'll breaks agin, I kin promise ya that. Maybe he'll break so deep no one'll ever be able ta fix it. Not even me. You understands what I'm telling ya?"

Aiden paused, not sure what Asher was getting at. Always he had resisted being given orders and this sounded like too much of a demand for him not to fight it just a little.

Asher sighed. "Ya loves him, right?"

"Wit all I 'ave," Aiden answered swiftly, not one ounce of reservation.

Asher saw the truth of it and nodded. "Then do the both of yous a favor. Never touch another again, that's how ya shows yer proper appreciation for what I done, gots that? Honor me, honor Kim with yer fidelity. You stray an' Kim'll break fer shure, you'll makes alla this work I just done a fine waste of alla our times."

Aiden nodded, a bead of understanding glimmering there. He wasn't sure he could do what Asher was asking, but he loved Kimble deep down enough to try.

"Fair enough. See this, Dreamer. Right now, things are all tumbled up with the Game an' all. There ain't no knowin' what's gonna happen. Maybe... maybe not all of us're gonna makes it. Kin ya grasps what I'm sayin' to ya now?"

Aiden raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, you win. You pessimiszt," he teased, with a playful smile so that the tension would vanish.

The Dreamer took one step towards Asher to follow him out, but both of them froze as the blare of an alarm screamed through the peace of their moment. Seconds later a voice blared through the intercom. "Code Orange! Code Orange! All personnel report to their positions! Code Orange! Jael has attacked the Kremlin!"

To be continued in Red Skye Rising.


End file.
